Farne Islands' puffin population 'stable' despite bird flu fears

The number of Puffins living on the Farne Islands is now "stable".

Rangers from the National Trust carried out the first full puffin count since 2019. While initial finding showed a decline in numbers of other seabirds, the puffin population has risen by 15 per cent.

Rangers say the birds' natural "self-isolating" behaviour meant they were largely protected against outbreaks of avian flu in recent years.

Sophia Jackson, National Trust Area Ranger on the Farne Islands, said: “We just didn’t know what to expect with this year’s count. Annual monitoring is so important in our care of all the birds that live and breed on the islands as it allows us to understand the impacts of climate change, particular weather patterns as well as disease."

She added: “We feared the worst after we sadly collected 938 dead puffins in 2022 and 2023 which had died due to bird flu – but it’s been amazing to get this positive news; and it seems due to the species’ own ‘self-isolating’ behaviours that they have weathered this particular storm.

“We think another reason for puffins doing well this year is down to the weather. Although over the winter we saw heavy rain and storms – during the breeding season, despite regular periods of rain we luckily avoided any storms which will have helped the puffins ability to fish for sandeels, their preferred food source.

“Diseases, climate change and overfishing are the three main threats to puffins and all the other seabirds we care for, and we are keen to do all we can to ensure the islands have the optimum conditions to ensure these birds keep returning year-on-year and feel safe and protected during a critical time for them.”

Puffins return to the islands every year, laying their eggs in burrows on vegetated areas. Rangers monitor the populations by observing the burrows, looking for signs such as puffin footprints, fresh digging and hatched eggshells as well as birds arriving with fresh fish in their beaks.

Where it is not clear if a burrow is occupied, rangers will wear appropriate wipe clean arm length gloves and carefully reach into the borrow to feel for any occupants.

2024 marked the first year that visitors were able to return to the islands, after they were closed to protect the birds from avian flu.

More than 9,500 dead birds were picked up in 2022 and 2023 as part of efforts to stop the spread of the disease.

Initial figures show numbers of other cliff nesting birds such as guillemots, shags, kittiwakes and razorbill have declined.

During this year's count, Rangers recorded more puffins nesting on Inner Farne than the outer islands, as has previously been recorded.

Sophia added: “From October to December the Farnes is also a key site for grey seals returning to pup. Last year, through that period the weather was particularly wet and stormy and we suspect that the seals were forced to pup further away from the shoreline to ensure their baby seals were safely out of the way of the crashing waves.

“This meant the seals moved onto vegetated areas with their weight causing some of the burrows to collapse. Returning puffins who couldn’t identify their burrows may therefore have decided to relocate their burrows to another island.”

Dr Chris Redfern, Emeritus Professor in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University, who helped to verify this year’s results said: “It is very good news that puffin numbers for the Farnes overall are holding up.

“The possible displacement or decline of puffins breeding on the Outer Group of islands is worrying though; it will be important to try and work out why, and whether or not anything can be done to ensure the long-term stability of puffin and other seabird colonies throughout the archipelago.”

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