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Typically, as evening falls, hundreds of cormorant birds (shag) fly from their feeding area in Fife, United Kingdom, to the Isle of May to roost for the night. However, on October 31, Mark Newell from the United Kingdom Center for Hydrology and Ecology (UKCEH) noticed an unusual absence of the approximately 700 birds that usually return to the island, a sight he had not witnessed in his 20 years of work in the area.
According to The Guardian, a series of storms in October, including Storm Babet, likely caused the disappearance of 700 shag birds on an island. The birds may have died
Experts believe that a series of storms in October, ending with Storm Babet, are responsible for the disappearance and probable death of these birds. However, this incident might just be a small representation of a larger issue affecting other islands. It serves as a warning about the potential consequences for seabirds as extreme weather events become increasingly common.
700 shag birds disappeared overnight
Newell described the bird-less cliffs as a desolate and alarming sight. Interestingly, these birds had survived the bird flu that had affected seabirds in the UK for two years, making their sudden disappearance even more puzzling. The birds did not return to the island in the subsequent weeks.
Experts speculate that the severe October storms may have led to the birds’ disappearance or death. This incident could be an indication of the impact of increasingly frequent extreme weather events in the region.
Newell expressed his concern, stating that some of the birds he had banded as chicks 20 years ago were gone after just one or two weeks of bad weather. He added that such a large-scale event had not been witnessed before.
During the winter of 2013-2014, intense storms in Europe resulted in the death of over 500,000 seabirds. However, since record-keeping began on the island in 1970, there has not been a bird loss of this magnitude.
Newell pointed out that while the immediate impact on cormorants is visible, extreme weather events negatively affect a wide range of seabirds. He estimates that the recent storms impacted at least 10% of the UK’s cormorant population.
Currently, the Center for Hydrology and Ecology is gathering information and has requested the public to report any sightings of dead cormorants. They are also awaiting information from other islands.
Storms Impact Shags’ Population in UK
The Isle of May has experienced storms in the past, specifically in 1993, 2004, and 2012-13. During these events, about half of the island’s breeding population was lost.
A recent report revealed that over the past 20 years, more than half of the seabird species breeding on British and Irish coasts have seen a decline. The shag population, in particular, has decreased by 20%, leaving around 20,000 breeding pairs.
Currently, conservationists are trying to locate the missing shags. Due to insufficient data from other islands, the total losses won’t be known until the next breeding season. However, anecdotal evidence suggests a high mortality rate, with many shags found dead or dying of starvation across the UK.
Reports of weak or deceased shags have come from around the Scottish east coast and as far south as Suffolk and Dover in England. One young bird was even spotted in the Netherlands. The UKCEH is urging people to report and send photos of any dead shags with coloured rings to [email protected].
At Fraserburgh harbour in Aberdeenshire, hundreds of exhausted shags were discovered; some were rescued, while others had to be euthanised.
Newell describes the situation as “pretty soul-destroying,” noting the absence or significantly reduced numbers of shags for this time of year. He identified one carcass found on the Moray coast by its plastic ring, recalling exactly who it was and where it used to nest.
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