Seabird numbers recover along England south coast following bird flu outbreak

Seabird populations have recovered along the Solent coastline on the south coast of England following a severe bird flu outbreak in 2022, The Guardian reported. A sandwich tern nesting colony at Pagham harbour in West Sussex was completely wiped out by avian influenza four years ago. According to The Guardian, the colony has since grown from zero to 756 breeding pairs within three years. [1]

The Guardian and SussexWorld both report that seabird numbers have increased in the Solent region following recovery efforts. In addition to sandwich terns, populations of breeding little terns, ringed plovers, oystercatchers and black-headed gulls have grown along the coastline, according to The Guardian. [1][2]

The population turnaround follows conservation work carried out by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds staff and volunteers at the Pagham harbour nature reserve, The Guardian reported. These conservation efforts extended across 52,000 hectares, or 128,000 acres, of coastline and estuaries. [1]

Seabirds generally exhibit life histories with delayed maturity, low annual egg production and extended parental care for chicks. Many species breed in dense colonies located on predator-free islands or cliffs to increase offspring survival, and adult lifespans often exceed several decades. [5]