Cliff nesting seabirds

Our cliffs support internationally important numbers of breeding seabirds. Lundy supports over 90% of England’s manx shearwaters.

In 2000 there were just 13 puffins on Lundy. Following the eradication of rats there are now around 1,300.

Choughs may soon breed again on Devon’s coast.

What we need to do and where
A puffin bobs on dark blue water, facing the camera. The top of the puffins head, back and wings are black, and the bottom is white. The distinctive orange marked bill is visible.

Puffin, J. Shelton

Guillemot, Sam Turley – RSPB images

Kittiwake, Andy Hay – RSPB images

1. About

Devon’s sea cliffs support internationally important numbers of breeding seabirds. This group includes 11 Devon Special Species.

Kittiwake, razorbill, guillemot, shag, herring gull, great black backed gull and lesser black backed gull nest on cliffs (including ledges, vegetated slopes) and cliff tops. Key sites include Straight point near Exmouth which is an important kittiwake site, Berry Head which supports guillimots and the Exmoor coast which is important for guillimot, razorbill and kittiwake.

Lundy supports all of these species and is also the only site for puffin, manx shearwater and storm petrels. Puffin and manx shearwater nest in burrows on slopes above the cliffs whilst storm petrels nest in smaller burrows and crevices under boulders and in stone walls.

Apart from the three gull species, these birds spend the non-breeding season out at sea.

Chough is also included in this group as a species which nests on cliffs and depends on coastal grasslands. They last bred in Devon in 1920 (near Lynton). Choughs have been recorded along the north and south Devon coasts in recent years and it is hoped that if habitat is suitable they will return to breed.  Many other Devon Special Species breed in coastal grasslands including Dartford warbler, skylark and meadow pipit. These species are discussed in Grazed moor, heath and rough grasslands and Lowland farmland birds.   

The more widespread fulmar (a Devon Species of Conservation Concern) will also benefit from measures to protect breeding sea birds. Balearic shearwater has very important non breeding populations off the Devon Coast, however since it only occurs at sea in Devon, it is not addressed in this Strategy. 

Key pressures and opportunities

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Disturbance

Breeding seabirds are vulnerable to disturbance from land and sea, which can negatively impact survival rates of species by increasing the risk of nest abandonment, displacement, ability to rest and feed. WiSe, is a national training scheme promoting best practice to reduce disturbance to marine and coastal wildlife. WiSe has developed Codes of Conduct in line with the government’s Marine Wildlife Codes to promote safe and sustainable activity. Most of Lundy’s cliffs are subject to climbing restrictions between 31st March and 15th September to avoid climbers disturbing breeding seabirds.

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Predation

Rats predate seabirds, notably the eggs and chicks of the species that are accessible to them, such as puffins and manx shearwaters that nest in burrows.  Whilst black and brown rats have been removed from Lundy (see Inspiration below) there is a constant threat of re-invasion requiring scrupulous ongoing biosecurity measures and monitoring. 

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Disease

Diseases are a current and possibly increasing threat, in particular bird flu (avian influenza). Nationally the outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has devastated populations of some species such as gannets. In Devon there have been individual cases of HPAI but there hasn’t been a significant impact on seabird populations to date. It is important that appropriate biosecurity measures are in place as well as testing of dead birds.  

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Pollution

Pollution from land based activities (e.g. nutrient enrichment) and marine activities (e.g. oil spills) can lead to impacts on marine ecosystems, reduced food availability and increased mortality.

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Litter

Seabirds can ingest plastic debris which may lead to malnutrition or death. Birds can also get entangled in discarded fishing gear.

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Climate change

Warming seas are impacting on the availability of key food such as sand eels which species such as puffin and kittiwakes rely on. Rising seal levels and more frequent storms can also threaten nesting sites.

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Fishing

Fishing can reduce availability of small fish such as sand eels which are already under pressure due to climate change. Reduced fish discards from fishing vessels can impact on scavenging species such as gulls.

2. What we need to do and where

Devon Special Species

These include: 

Razorbill, guillemot, shag, kittiwake, herring gull, great black backed gull, lesser black backed gull, puffin, manx shearwater, storm petrel, chough.

See Find out more for links to more detailed information on this group including management advice and records.

Actions

Reduce recreational disturbance to nesting sites. See Coast for more detailed actions including following the Marine and Coastal Wildlife Code and Wildlife Safe Operator Scheme. 

Continue to implement Lundy’s Biosecurity Plan to prevent the recolonisation of rats.

Maintain and expand coastal grasslands, rich with insects, worms and spiders, for chough through light grazing and scrub control. When they return to Devon to breed protect breeding sites from disturbance and monitor.

Continue the periodic national seabird census and interim colony counts at significant seabird colonies.

Where to focus action

High Opportunity Areas: Coastal Wildbelts.

Actions should be targeted to the significant seabird cliff colonies mapped as Species Opportunity Areas. These include Torquay, Berry Head, Straight Point (Sandy Bay outside Exmouth), Lundy and areas along the north Devon coast. See Mapping .

3. Inspiration

Case studies

This section will be finalised following public consultation. Please share any case studies and places to visit.

The island of Lundy in Devon, owned by the National Trust and managed by The Landmark Trust, was once home to a thriving colony of breeding seabirds. In 1939 there were approximately 80,000 individual birds on the island, including Manx shearwaters, puffins, razorbills, and common guillemots. However, the national census survey in 2000 revealed that these numbers had plummeted, with only 7,351 birds remaining, and with puffins near to extinction on the island. 

In 2001 the Lundy Seabird Recovery Project, a partnership between Natural England, RSPB, The National Trust and The Landmark Trust, was initiated.  Expert contractors and locals worked to eradicate rats from Lundy over the winters of 2002/03 and 2003/04. The island was officially declared rat free in 2006 and has remained so since. 

This enabled a rapid explosion in the populations of seabirds on Lundy, and it is now the third largest seabird breeding colony in England. It is now internationally important for its seabirds, with over 40,000 seabirds present on the island during the breeding season. Lundy supports over 90% of England’s manx shearwaters (a species for which Britain holds an estimated 68–93% of the global breeding population). 

Where to visit

Always follow the Countryside Code and keep to footpaths and sites that are managed for public access. 

Good places to see cliff nesting sea birds are:

Lundy

Lying off the north coast of Devon, Lundy is a peaceful three mile long escape from the modern world. The island is where the Atlantic meets the Bristol Channel and can be reached from the mainland by boat or helicopter. Whether you go for a day trip or a weekend away, there is plenty of fantastic wildlife to see (as well as a brilliant pub to visit!).

It is owned by the National Trust and managed by the Landmark Trust to help maintain the rich natural diversity of the varied terrain found there. There are no roads, no light pollution and more sunshine with less rain creating the perfect place to explore.

Berry Head

Found within the English riviera’s UNESCO Global Geopark, Berry Head National Nature Reserve has some of Devon’s most phenomenal views as well as an astonishing array of wildlife. The headland is surrounded by water on three sides making it perfect for spotting marine birds and mammals.

Managed by the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, the site contains Napoleonic forts, an iconic lighthouse, incredible coastal paths, and a café that serves excellent cream teas! There is over 170 acres to explore, including a disability friendly track and plenty of dog friendly footpaths.

For information on visiting these and other sites that are open to the public please see the Explore Devon website.

4. Find out more

This section will be tidied up and finalised following public consultation. Please share any links.

See useful links on the Coast page 

Find out more about the distribution of birds on BTO’s British Bird Atlas

Devon species distributions are on the Devon Bird Atlas: devonbirdatlas.org  

The national seabird census took place over the last few years. The results were published in Seabirds Count Seabirds Count – Lynx Nature Books (lynxeds.com)  

Most of the data is accessible at Seabirds Count | JNCC – Adviser to Government on Nature Conservation  

There are regular comprehensive counts of breeding seabirds on Lundy.  A survey took place in 2023, and data is available on request from the Seabird Monitoring Programme website. 

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