The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is encouraged by news that at least ten pairs of kittiwakes are showing signs of nesting on the island of Gugh, after an archipelago-wide absence of breeding attempts in 2021.
Gugh, which is attached at low-tide to the bigger island of St Agnes, has previously hosted several nests of kittiwakes, but last year there was a complete absence of nests from these special seabirds across the whole Isles of Scilly. Whilst the birds are showing signs of a more successful year in 2022, the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust is clear that this is only a temporary reprieve, and many seabird species around the islands are showing a worrying downward trend.
The islands are home to breeding populations of thirteen seabird species, but overall, the number of pairs around Scilly have declined by 9.8% since 2006 and by nearly a third (31.5%) since 1983. Data from annual surveys shows that kittiwakes show the most concerning downward trend, with an 89% decline between 2006 and 2016. They are one of five species whose populations have fallen by more than a fifth in this time, including common terns, lesser black-backed gulls, herring gulls and shags.
Kittiwakes are a dainty species of gull, so named for their distinctive, nasal ‘kitti-wayke’ call. They have an elegant appearance, with a small yellow bill and a dark eye. In summer plumage, the wings are all-white apart from the very tips, which look they have been 'dipped in ink'.
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Posted On: 30/06/2022