We are very proud that over 40,000 seabirds – the highest number since the 1930s – now call Lundy home. As one of England’s largest seabird colonies, Lundy now supports 95% of England's breeding Manx Shearwaters, with some 25,000 individuals, along with 1,335 Puffins and over 150 pairs of breeding Storm Petrels, a species first confirmed as breeding on the island in 2014 following conservation efforts.
Over 80% of the global population of Manx Shearwaters breed on UK islands, yet there were only 297 pairs on Lundy in 2001. At the same time, Puffins were near to extinction on the island and urgent action was needed to make the habitat safer for breeding seabirds. The national seabird census in 2000 found that the seabird population on Lundy had plummeted, with only 7,351 birds remaining.
In 2002, a partnership of RSPB, National Trust, Landmark Trust and Natural England was formed to restore Lundy's seabird populations. Evidence from other important seabird islands revealed that the biggest threat to burrow-nesting birds, such as Manx Shearwater and Puffin on Lundy, was predation of eggs and chicks by rats. On Lundy, rats were imported unwittingly on ships visiting the island or from shipwrecks. Following careful conservation work, Lundy was finally declared rat free in 2006.
Since then, ongoing biosecurity work to prevent rats from returning to the island, together with regular monitoring to track the progress of Lundy's seabirds, has gone from strength to strength. The island is now internationally important for breeding birds and hosts one of England’s largest seabird colonies.
UK seas and islands are globally important for many species, including Grey Seal, Puffin and Manx Shearwater. While many people may be aware of the plight of the Puffin, thanks to its bright beak and comical appearance, fewer people are aware that the UK holds over 80% of the world’s Manx Shearwater population, making conservation efforts like this critical to the global survival of the species.