A Changing Sky: Puffins Decline on the Farnes as Other Seabirds Rise

Each summer, the Farne Islands, a scattered chain of 28 rocky islets off the coast of Northumberland, have long welcomed tens of thousands of seabirds returning to breed and raise their young. Among the most beloved are the colourful, clown-faced Atlantic puffin: charismatic birds that burrow into grassy soil to nest, returning year after year with their lifelong partner to raise “pufflings.” 

For decades, the Farnes were a success story. Under the stewardship of The National Trust, guardians of the islands since 1925, seabird numbers flourished, bolstered by environmental protections and consistent conservation efforts. But in recent years, this idyll has been shaken. Surveys and counts have revealed troubling drops in puffin numbers, prompting concern about the long-term future of one of Britain’s best-loved seabirds.

Several interlinked pressures have converged, putting stress on puffin populations at the Farnes and beyond:

Puffins feed primarily on small, oily fish, especially sandeels, during the breeding season. Warming sea temperatures, shifting currents, and declining fish stocks mean their traditional hunting grounds are less reliable. In many seabird colonies across the North Sea and the United Kingdom, these changes have cut the food supply that puffins and other seabirds depend on.

On the Farnes, a combination of factors has contributed to nest-site disruption. For instance, heavy winter storms, rising sea levels, and increases in competing species, including seals, have reportedly caused vegetated ground and puffin burrows to deteriorate or collapse. Some returning puffins may not recognise or regain their old burrows and may relocate or abandon them entirely.

The Farne Islands, like many seabird colonies, have endured setbacks from events such as bird flu outbreaks and periods of extreme weather. Between 2020 and 2023, the Farnes experienced visitor closures, making complete seabird counts impossible. These interruptions may have masked population declines or prevented early warning.

The decline is not limited to the Farnes. The puffin is now classified as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), reflecting a Europe-wide decline driven by overlapping threats, including climate change, pollution, food scarcity, predation, and human impacts. 

Collectively, these pressures mean that puffins, once reliable icons of the Farnes’ summer, are now fighting for survival in a rapidly changing environment.

In 2025, during the islands’ centenary year under National Trust care, rangers undertook a comprehensive puffin count, the first complete survey since 2019, after closures caused by the pandemic and avian flu. 

The results were sobering. While in previous decades the Farnes supported large, stable puffin colonies, the new data revealed alarming declines on several outer islands. On the largest island, Inner Farne, about 26,552 puffin pairs were recorded, but the overall distribution had shifted significantly. Many puffins had abandoned outer burrows, and some pairs had not returned.

Rangers suggest that a mix of climate-linked food scarcity, habitat stress (including possible burrow collapse caused by winter storms and animals such as seals), and changing seas is likely to be a contributor.

The decline landed as a stark reminder: conservation success is fragile, and even a site as iconic as the Farnes is not immune to the pressures facing seabirds globally.

Yet, even amid concern about puffins, the Farnes’ wildlife story is far from over. The 2025 count also revealed hopeful signs, especially among other seabird species:

According to Sophie Jackson, a Farne Islands Ranger, in a BBC interview, Arctic tern nesting pairs increased by more than 26% compared with 2024, rising from 410 to 519 pairs. The numbers of European shags and other seabirds, including fulmars, gulls and eiders, also showed encouraging upticks, even as the puffins struggled. The Islands Shag population, for example, increased by an encouraging 80% in 2024. Many of these species have suffered heavy losses in previous seasons due to avian flu. 

These gains matter. They show that the Farnes remains a dynamic and vital breeding ground, and that some species, while facing their own challenges, are adapting and recovering. Conservation efforts, including habitat protection, burrow management, nest-site monitoring, and food-supply regulation (such as restrictions on sandeel fishing when enforced), may be helping provide breathing room for these wildlife communities.

The message from the Farnes is nuanced: while puffins are no longer guaranteed, the islands’ broader ecosystem endures. The increase in terns and shags offers precious hope that conservation and careful management can preserve seabird diversity even in the face of dramatic change.

For visitors and wildlife lovers, the Farnes remain a spectacular destination. The arrival of Arctic terns, shags, guillemots, razorbills, fulmars and eiders ensures that the islands are packed with life. And for many, witnessing that resilience is as moving as spotting a puffin returning to its burrow.

If you plan to visit, take only memories. Stick to designated paths: respect nesting sites and burrows. Your presence, when welcomed, supports ongoing conservation. The Farnes belong to nature, but they also depend on the care and conscientiousness of all who come.

Because the truth is this: even when puffins fade, the Farnes do not disappear. Their cliffs, their seas, their storms and calms, they endure. And as long as people care enough to count, protect and watch, hope remains for seabirds under the endless sky and wind-tossed waves.