We carry out regular surveys and censuses of the breeding seabirds on Lundy. As well as some routine monitoring of sections of colonies, every four to six years since 1981 a full island survey has been carried out, organised by RSPB, as part of the Seabird Recovery Project.
Guillemot Uria aalge
A section of the Lundy Guillemot colony at St Mark's Stone is monitored each year. The all-island surveys make counts from designated vantage points of birds occupying breeding sites. This methodology allows direct comparision between years.
Razorbill Alca torda
There is no annual systematic monitoring of breeding Razorbills, although complete island counts are undertaken at regular intervals as part of the RSPB all-island surveys using the same methodolgy as for Guillemot.
Puffin Fratercula arctica
Breeding success at the Jenny's Cove colony is monitored annually with an assessment of active burrows made from an observation hide. The all-island surveys count all individuals, including birds on the sea adjacent to breeding cliffs.
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus
Since 2001 regular all-island surveys are carried out, led by RSPB with assistance from Natural England staff. This is primarily achieved by call playback at every burrow, and an estimate of the population determined by a standardised calibration technique based on the proportion of responses.
Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus
Regular surveys have been carried out by RSPB and Natural England since 2016 following confirmation of successful breeding in 2014. This combines the use of thermal imaging at night to identify potential breeding sites with daytime playback surveys during transects of those sites.
Fulmar Fulmaris glacialis
Fulmars breeding on Gannets' Rock on the east side of the island are monitored using a Nest Site Mapping methodology. Numbers of Apparently Occupied Sites are also counted as part of the regular all-island surveys.
Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis
Counts of Apparenty Occupied Nests are made as part of the all-island surveys.
Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla
A sample survey of marked nests in the colony at Aztec Bay is carried out each year, using a Mapped Nests technique. Each nest site is monitored for occupancy, egg count and chick production. This allows results to be compared between years. Counts of Apparenty Occupied Nests are made as part of the all-island surveys.
Herring Gull Larus argentatus, Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus and Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus
Estimated nest counts are made during the RSPB all-island seabird surveys, although the optimal timing for auks is not ideal for assessing large gull numbers.