Seabird recovery ‘painfully slow’ after threatened species hit by killer bird flu

A species of seabird hit by a devastating avian flu outbreak is making a “painfully slow recovery” at Shetland’s national nature reserves.

NatureScot reported a slight increase in the number of great skua at Hermaness and Noss national nature reserves (NNRs), but said it could take “years, if not decades” to get back to pre-virus levels.

The full census of the species, for which Shetland is a global stronghold, was carried out as part of a probe into how populations are faring following the H5N1 influenza strain outbreak of 2022.

At Hermaness, 220 breeding pairs of the bird – also known as bonxie – were counted.

This is a small increase from the 208 in 2023 but still down 77% on the 955 counted in 2018, which was the last full census before the outbreak.

The Noss count reported 80 pairs, which was a rise from 69 last year but a drastic decline of 83% from the 476 reported in 2018.

Although a full count was not carried out this year, NatureScot also reported a slight increase in the number of gannets at Hermaness.

But it estimated that the previous upward trend in the species’ numbers has been set back by 20 years at the reserve.

Gannets reached 29,562 nests in 2021 pre-bird flu but were down to 18,739 nests at the last census in 2023.

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NatureScot reported only one positive case of avian flu in seabird populations at the reserves during breeding season.

However, staff remain “vigilant” in response to a small number of positive tests in great black-backed gull and bonxie at the end of the season.

NatureScot said these have been confirmed as the H5N5 strain of avian flu, not the H5N1 strain of 2022.

Juan Brown, NatureScot operations officer, said: “This year’s seabird census reveals the ongoing impact of the avian flu outbreak in 2022 and the painfully slow recovery of these populations which are likely to take years, if not decades, to reach pre-outbreak levels once again.

“In contrast to recent years, the small number of positive avian flu tests we have had this year have all been the H5N5 strain of the virus, rather than H5N1.

“While we don’t yet know what the impact of H5N5 will be on wild bird populations, we are keeping a close eye on the situation and encourage people to report all sightings of sick or dead birds using the online reporting system.

“Sightings will help us track the spread of the virus and assess impacts on wild bird populations.”