Avian Influenza devastates seabird populations in the UK over two years
The current strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 has significantly impacted UK wild bird populations since its first recorded instance in the country among Great Skuas in the summer of 2021, with seabirds and waterfowl being particularly affected. The scale of reported mortalities attributed to HPAI in the UK and across Europe in 2022 demonstrates that HPAI has emerged as one of the most significant immediate conservation threats faced by numerous seabird species, including some for which the UK population is globally significant. Many species affected by HPAI are of conservation concern in the UK.
A new report by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the British Trust for Ornithology summarizes the results of counts undertaken in 2023 and compares them with the most recent pre-HPAI count data to calculate the percentage population change across all surveyed sites for each prioritized species. Total survey coverage and overall population changes are presented at both the national and UK scales.
The report reveals that H5N1 has caused a 75% decline in the Great Skua population and a 25% decrease in the Northern Gannet population at surveyed UK sites, which serve as habitats for more than half of the species' population.
