Razorbill and Guillemot Conservation: Auks of the Northern Seas

Razorbills and guillemots are cliff-nesting auks that spend most of their lives at sea. They face threats from oil spills, bycatch, and climate-driven prey changes that affect their welfare across their range.

Key Facts

Common guillemots are the most abundant seabird in Britain with approximately 1.5 million individuals
Razorbills are less numerous but share the same cliff nesting habitat with guillemots on most sites
Both species are vulnerable to oil spills -- oiled birds cannot thermoregulate and die of hypothermia
Guillemots lay a single pear-shaped egg on bare cliff ledges -- breeding failure means no second chance
Bycatch in gill nets and long lines kills auks in significant numbers in some parts of their range
Climate change is affecting sand eel and sprat availability, affecting chick-rearing success
Both species winter far out at sea and are vulnerable to severe winter storms that cause exhaustion and starvation

Welfare Considerations

Guillemot and razorbill welfare is affected by oil spills that cause suffering through contamination of plumage and ingestion of toxic substances. Oiled birds unable to thermoregulate die of hypothermia over hours. Bycatch drowning in fishing nets causes acute death. The annual mortality from these sources is significant but largely invisible. Onshore, oiled bird rehabilitation provides welfare support for individual survivors, but prevention through spill response and gear modification is more effective. Climate effects on prey availability create nutritional stress that affects survival and breeding success.

What You Can Do

Support organisations rehabilitating oiled seabirds including RSPCA Wildlife and local seabird rescue groups
Advocate for strengthened oil spill prevention and response in coastal and offshore waters
Push for fishing gear modification requirements that reduce auk bycatch in gill net and long line fisheries
Donate to the RSPB seabird monitoring programme that tracks guillemot and razorbill population trends
Report beached seabirds to recording schemes that track mortality causes and welfare events