Important Bird Areas: Breeding seabirds on the Isles of Scilly Vickie Heaney, Leigh Lock, Paul St Pierre and Andy Brown Razorbills Alca torda Ren Hathway ABSTRACT The Isles of Scilly are long famous for attracting rare migrant birds, and much-visited in spring and autumn by those in search of them, but it is much less widely appreciated that the islands also support an outstanding and internationally important assemblage of breeding seabirds.We document the present status and distribution of seabirds on the islands, set populations in their regional, national and international contexts, and review recent and historical changes in numbers. In the light of some alarming population trends, we discuss the possible roles of persecution, disturbance, predation, habitat change, waste and fisheries management, climate change and pollution in bringing about these changes. Finally, we identify a range of actions that we believe will do much to improve the fortunes of the seabirds breeding in the archipelago. 418 © British Birds 101 • August 2008 • 418–438 Breeding seabirds on the Isles of Scilly he Isles of Scilly are situated some 45 km seabird interest, it is not surprising that many of to the west of the southwest tip of the the older county avifaunas refer to the presence TBritish mainland. Five inhabited islands of seabirds in some numbers. However, few of and at least 300 smaller, uninhabited islands, the references are quantitative and information islets and rocks cover a total area of 16 km2. on the size of seabird colonies on Scilly prior to Composed primarily of granite, the island the Operation Seafarer surveys of 1969–70 is group is perhaps best visualised as an island scant. We have gathered information from all Dartmoor or Bodmin Moor, with the lowest published (and some unpublished) sources levels now flooded by the sea. The open known to us (see reference list), with landscape is a result of forest clearance for Penhallurick (1969), Allen (1976), Chown & arable cultivation, which commenced with the Lock (2002), Robinson (2003) and Flood et al. settlement of Scilly in the early Bronze Age, just (2007) providing particularly useful overviews over 4,000 years ago (Ratcliffe & Straker 1996). of historical information. The islands are dominated by grass and The most recent survey took place in 2006 heathland species, while the littoral fringe varies and formed part of the Action for Birds in from low cliffs and rugged rock exposures to England programme, a partnership between sheltered bays and sandflats. Technically, the Natural England and the RSPB, and was islands are the sole European example of a conducted in collaboration with the Isles of Lusitanian1 semi-oceanic archipelago (UK Scilly Wildlife Trust (IOSWT) and the Isles of Biodiversity Steering Group 1995). A modern Scilly Bird Group. All islands believed to be account of the archipelago’s natural history is capable of supporting breeding seabirds were provided by Parlsow (2007). searched during the survey using standard The islands support a greater diversity of methods (see Gilbert et al. 1998). The actual breeding seabirds than any other island group count units used varied between species in strict or mainland site in England, with over 9,100 accordance with these methods. For simplicity, pairs of up to 14 species. They support however, all are expressed here as ‘pairs’, internationally important populations of including uncorrected counts of individual European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus auks. The two most recent surveys (2006 and [hereafter ‘Storm-petrel’] and Lesser Black- the 1998–2002 Seabird 2000 surveys) used backed Gull Larus fuscus and nationally identical methods, were organised by the same important populations of Shag Phalacrocorax team and many of the surveyors, including the aristotelis and Great Black-backed Gull L. authors, were involved in both surveys. The marinus. The populations of a further six results are thus directly comparable. species (seven if Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii is included) are regarded as important in a The status of seabirds on Scilly in 2006 southwest regional context. The greater part of A total of 9,161 pairs of 14 species of seabird were the seabird interest is contained within 14 Sites recorded from 58 islands in 2006 (see table 1). of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)2, the Isles of The seabird assemblage is dominated Scilly Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar numerically by gulls, which are also among the Site, and the Isles of Scilly Important Bird Area most widespread seabirds in the islands. (IBA)3. Much of the area is also a Special Area Numbers of both Lesser Black-backed and of Conservation (SAC). Great Black-backed Gulls exceed 1% of the national total. Furthermore, since Lesser Black- A history of seabird censusing on the islands backed Gulls breeding in Britain constitute As this archipelago is of such considerable about 65% of the global population of the sub- 1 Denoting flora or fauna characteristically found only in the warm, moist, west-facing coastal regions of Portugal, Spain, France, and the west and southwest coasts of Great Britain and Ireland. 2 Not all SSSIs in the archipelago support breeding seabirds and an additional three SSSIs between them support ten pairs of Herring Gulls L. argentatus. 3 The population of wintering Turnstones Arenaria interpres additionally forms part of the qualifying interest of the Isles of Scilly IBA (Heath et al. 2000). Numbers were estimated at 940 individuals in winter 1984/85, but had fallen to some 330 individuals by winter 1997/98 (Rehfisch et al. 2003). As there has been no more recent census, the focus of this paper is on the IBA’s seabirds. British Birds 101 • August 2008 • 418–438 419 Breeding seabirds on the Isles of Scilly species graellsii, the Scilly population is importance but is expanding rapidly and may regarded as internationally important. Lesser assume greater significance in the future. The Black-backed Gull is thus a key species for Puffin Fratercula arctica population is of great which the SPA has been designated. Its overall regional importance and, along with colonies in numbers in the archipelago represent some the Channel Islands and Co. Kerry, marks the 36% of the total numbers of birds in the assem- southwestern limits of the species’ Eurasian blage. The regional significance of the Scilly breeding range. populations of both these species is exceptional. Numbers of two other species exceed 1,000 The current distribution of seabirds within the pairs. The archipelago is the only place in archipelago England where Storm-petrels breed; the Scilly’s breeding seabirds are not evenly population of this Annex 1 species exceeds 1% distributed: many islands are too small or low- of the national total and is thus of international lying to offer shelter from Atlantic storms and importance. The number of breeding Shags even some relatively sheltered islands are represents half the southwest total, a third of regularly washed over on spring tides. The the English total and is also of national inhabited islands are also scarcely used by significance, there being nearly 5% of the breeding seabirds. For example, in 2006, the British total in the islands; the Scilly colony is only species to nest on St Mary’s (the largest the third-largest in Britain, after Foula island, with a coastline of more than 15 km) (Shetland) and the Farne Islands was Herring Gull, three pairs nesting on (Northumberland). rooftops in Hugh Town. This is by far the most The remaining species are much less widespread species on the inhabited islands, numerous but nonetheless important: the and a further 87 pairs bred on Tresco, 25 on islands are one of only two nesting stations for Bryher, 15 on St Agnes and 13 on St Martin’s. Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus in England The remaining seabird interest on the (the other being Lundy, Devon). Numbers of inhabited islands is focused on four areas both Razorbill Alca torda and Common Tern (figures in parentheses refer to number of Sterna hirundo are large in a regional context, pairs nesting in 2006): the Daymark, St the tern population being one of only three in Martin’s (46 Fulmar, 15 Kittiwake Rissa southwest England. The Fulmar Fulmarus tridactyla, four Lesser Black-backed Gull, three glacialis population is of some regional Great Black-backed and 12 Herring Gull); Table 1. Seabirds on the Isles of Scilly, ranked by their abundance in 2006, and showing regional, national and international importance. For scientific names of species, see text.The highest level at which numbers are significant is indicated in bold; an asterisk denotes numbers of international importance. no. pairs no. occupied no. pairs no. pairs no. pairs islands as % of SW as % of as % of regional total English total British total Lesser Black-backed Gull 3,335 25 44.6 4.7 2.7* European Storm-petrel 1,398 11 100 100 5.5* Shag 1,296 28 51.3 33.6 4.9 Great Black-backed Gull 901 38 62.7 58.9 5.4 Herring Gull 715 43 4.2 1.2 <1 Razorbill 342 14 18 3<1 Fulmar 279 19 11.4 4.4 <1 Kittiwake 266 5 7.7 <1 <1 Puffin 174 8 90.2 <1 <1 Manx Shearwater 171 6 46.6 46.6 <1 Common Guillemot 155 3 <1 <1 <1 Common Tern 78 6 21.6 1.6 <1 Great Cormorant 50 4 3.7 1.2 <1 Sandwich Tern 1 1 <1 <1 <1 Total 9,161 58 420 British Birds 101 • August 2008 • 418–438 Breeding seabirds on the Isles of Scilly Wingletang Down, St Agnes (eight Manx Annet Shearwater and four Herring Gull); Shipman This small island is of outstanding importance Head/Shipman Head Down, Bryher (13 for breeding seabirds, supporting 1,638 pairs of Fulmar, 13 Manx Shearwater, four Shag, six of ten species in 2006, some 18% of the total in the both Great and Lesser Black-backed Gull, and archipelago.