Gannet colonies could take 15 years to recover from bird flu
Summary
The bird flu outbreak in 2022 caused a large number of deaths among gannets, seabirds that live in big colonies in the UK. Two major colonies, one on Bass Rock in Scotland and another on Grassholm in Wales, lost many adult birds and will take about 15 to 20 years to recover fully.Key Facts
- The 2022 bird flu was identified as the H5N1 virus.
- Gannets on Bass Rock and Grassholm saw adult deaths increase by four times during the outbreak.
- Bass Rock’s gannet colony decreased in size by 26%, and Grassholm’s colony fell by 38%.
- These colonies are among the largest in the world for northern gannets.
- The bird flu virus was first found in gannets at Bass Rock in June 2022 and Grassholm in July 2022.
- Adult breeding gannets are important because they help the population grow, so their loss affects long-term recovery.
- The study suggests updating the gannet’s conservation status from "least concern" to reflect the current threat.
- Bass Rock was recently bought by the conservation group RSPB Scotland, ending 320 years of private ownership.
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