A study of gannets off the northwest coast of Scotland has found their numbers have increased rapidly over the last decade.
Conditions in the region currently appear highly favourable for northern gannets with the rapid growth of one recently founded colony and potential colonisation of another new site off Barra.
The latest results confirm that Scotland – and particularly northwest Scotland -
The SNH-
Gannet populations are booming
19 March 2015
On the Flannan Islands, the growth was 7.5% per year.
Numbers are stable on the packed cliffs at St Kilda and the neighbouring islet of Boreray which have a total of around 92,500 nests.
Gannets are Scotland’s largest seabird, weighing between 2.5 to 3.5kg, with nearly
a six-
They migrate to the west coast of Africa, and sometimes further, in the winter. They only lay one egg and pairs typically mate for several seasons, if not for life.
The good health of gannets across Scotland may be explained by their foraging behaviour, suggests SNH.
They can fly for great distances in search of food, and are able to take a wide range of prey species – features which may make them more resistant to changes in the marine environment compared with other birds. They also usually nest at sites which have few predators, have produced lots of chicks over the past decade, and have high survival rates.
Both Sule Skerry and the Flannan Islands have plenty of unused but suitable nesting habitat, and this may explain why the number of gannets in these particular colonies has increased.
Eileen Stuart, SNH’s head of policy and advice, said: “Scotland has internationally important populations of seabirds, and gannets in particular, so it’s vital that we monitor how they’re faring.
“The survey is especially good news as gannets are, like many seabirds, of conservation concern.”
Gannets are commonly seen around the Scottish coast throughout the spring, summer and autumn.