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Trends of population change at colonies of cliff-nesting seabirds in the Moray Firth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

G. P. Mudge
Affiliation:
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL, U.K.
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Synopsis

Available information on the sizes and locations of seabird breeding colonies in the Moray Firth is reviewed. Guillemot is the most abundant species with a population of about 149,000 individuals at thirteen main colonies. The bulk of the populations of each species occur in east Caithness. Comparison of counts made in 1969 with more recent censuses indicate substantial increases in population size in the 1970s for most species. The results of annual counts at detailed study plots in five Caithness colonies between 1980 and 1984 suggest that this trend of increase has ceased for guillemots, razorbills and kittiwakes.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Society of Edinburgh 1986

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