The seabird populations on Alderney and the surrounding islets are monitored on a five-year rotation to make best use of available resources while maintaining data sets.
The table below shows the number of nests or individuals counted in Alderney and the surrounding islets.
Species |
2007-2011 |
2012-2016 |
| Gannet (Morus bassanus) | 7885 nests | 8686 nests |
| Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) | 23 nests | 72 nests |
| Puffin (Fratercula arctica) | 160 burrows | 97 burrows |
| Storm Petrel (Hydrobates pelagicus) | 2800 individuals | 3000 individuals |
| Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) | 85 nests | 182 nests |
| Lesser Black Back Gull (Larus fuscus) | 1074 nests | 1176 nests |
| Great Black Back Gull (Larus marinus) | 23 nests | 13 nests |
| Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) | 34 nests | 32 nests |
| Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula) | 3 sites | 7 sites |
| Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) | 11 nests | 25 nests |
The AWT conducts annual monitoring on the Atlantic Puffins population, as the species has red status and our population is considered vulnerable to disturbance due to the small size. The table below shows on estimation how many burrows are being activily used by Burhou's Puffin population. Please see our annual Ramsar reports for more details on how these figures were calculated.
| Year | Apparently Occupied Burrows |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 120 |
| 2006 | 127 |
| 2007 | 114 |
| 2008 | 132 |
| 2009 | - |
| 2010 | 153 |
| 2011 | 160 |
| 2012 | 175 |
| 2013 | 168 |
| 2014 | 143 |
| 2015 | 112 |
| 2016 | 97 |
| 2017 | 93 |
| 2018 | 101 |
| 2019 | 125 |
| 2020 |
©Joshua Copping