Wildlife

Seabird Welfare Across the Annual Cycle

Seabird welfare varies dramatically across the annual cycle with distinct welfare challenges during breeding, moult, and wintering periods.

Key Facts

Breeding failure due to food shortage causes chick starvation that is the most significant welfare event for many seabirds
Moult is an energetically demanding period during which many seabirds cannot fly effectively
Seabirds wintering far offshore face weather, predation, and pollution pressure
Oiling events during winter cause severe welfare harm and mortality
Climate change is disrupting the timing of seabird annual cycles relative to prey availability

Welfare Considerations

Seabird chicks that starve in colonies suffer prolonged hunger death while attended by parents unable to find sufficient food. Oiled seabirds lose waterproofing and thermoregulation, dying slowly from hypothermia and ingestion of toxic oil. Understanding welfare challenges across the full annual cycle allows targeted interventions including fish quota management, oil spill response, and breeding site protection to be prioritised for maximum welfare impact.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB seabird monitoring and protection programmes
Advocate for sandeel and other small fish quota limits protecting seabird food supplies
Donate to oil spill response organisations providing seabird rehabilitation
Reduce plastic use to decrease marine pollution affecting seabird welfare
Visit seabird colonies responsibly following distance and disturbance guidelines