Beached Seabirds

10 Dec 2014

Seabirds face many different threats, both man made and natural. Birds may be storm-wrecked by adverse weather conditions that exhaust them and sometimes very large numbers can be affected. Oil and other pollution may kill or injure birds. Seabirds may also be accidentally caught and killed in fishing gear in some circumstances. In all cases, live and dead seabirds may be found ashore. Last year, for example, winter storms killed at least 28,000 seabirds in the NE Atlantic.

We carry out an annual Beached Bird Survey, in order to monitor and record numbers of beached seabirds so that we can identify pollution or other incidents and, as appropriate, take action with partner NGOs and the statutory agencies.

What should you do if you find a beached bird?

Apart from this survey, we are interested in hearing from members of the public who find dead seabirds ashore.

The information we need is:

Date of finding birds
Location of birds (a grid reference is ideal, but a postcode will do)
How many birds you found
Species of birds – a description/photo is helpful for identification (see ID guidance below).
Details of any obvious pollution (oil or other substance)
Your name and contact details (so we can contact you for more information if necessary).

The more detail the better and photos are helpful, but please do not handle birds.

If a bird appears to be alive, try to find a local vet who may be able to help.

Example: “14 February 2014, 2 dead guillemots, no visible injuries, plumage dirty from beach but no obvious sign of any pollutant and 1 unidentified dead gull, clean-looking, found at west end of Summertime Bay, Dorset by Jill Bloggs”

Please send your report to rspb.nireland@rspb.org.uk

Please DO NOT deliberately go looking for seabirds on beaches in stormy and dangerous conditions.

Pollution and other incidents affect many species. In winter some species have a less colourful plumage (eg, divers and grebes, puffins) and some immature birds look different from adults (eg, young gulls have brown plumages while young razorbills and puffins lack the broad bills of adults).

Some of the species that may be affected in incidents (not to scale).