Bird flu: Disease emerges as 'one of the biggest conservation threats' facing UK seabirds - RSPB study finds

Chunky orange-capped gannets, sooty-hued great skua, and svelte roseate terns are some of the species we risk losing from British seas and skies, as a bird flu pandemic continues to sweep through colonies.

A new report by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has, for the first time, quantified the effects of recent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza - sometimes known as bird flu - outbreaks on the UK’s seabirds populations. Of the 13 species included in the study, nine were experiencing population declines, with three of these directly attributable to the virus - and a further two being most likely attributable to the disease.

Many seabirds which roost on the British Isles are already in trouble. The RSPB says they face a wide variety of threats, including unsustainable fishing practices threatening their food sources, being killed by invasive, non-native mammals, and climate change and the warming seas it causes. But with bird flu wiping out tens of thousands of birds since it became established in 2022, the charity says it is now emerging as "one of the biggest immediate conservation threats faced by multiple seabirds".

The study, led by the RSPB in collaboration with other conservation organisations like the British Trust for Ornithology, painted a highly concerning picture of widespread and extensive declines. Nine of the 13 species included in the report fell in numbers by more than 10% since previous surveys, made between 2015 and 2021. For gannets, great skua and roseate terns, the declines were able to be largely attributed to bird flu, while it was determined to be the likely cause for sandwich and common tern numbers falling.

It may be impacting the the remaining species - the arctic skua, black-headed gull, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull, great black-backed gull, kittiwake, arctic tern and guillemot - too, but the RSPB said further work was needed to better understand the part it played in their declines.

The charity's conservation director, Katie-jo Luxton, said: “With its rugged coastline and myriad of small offshore islands, the UK is globally important for seabirds. However, for decades we have not looked after these natural treasures and our seabird populations have dramatically declined because of our actions."

Invasive predators have been introduced to islands, which destroy nests and chicks, and the mounting effects of climate change were impacting the availability of their food, she said. "This new study shows that bird flu can be added to the long list of things that are devastating our seabirds."

But Ms Luxton said it hadn't all been bad news for seabirds recently, which showed that tangible conservation action could help vulnerable species endure in the face of new threats. "We know that conservation efforts and smart policies such as the recent sandeel [fishing ban] announcement, do work and help increase the resilience of our seabirds to better weather whatever new storm is on the horizon."

She continued: "But we need our governments to implement these efforts and plan for a future where our seabirds are part of a thriving marine environment.”