Home / Environment / Island Rats Gone, Seabirds Thrive!
Island Rats Gone, Seabirds Thrive!
26 Aug
Summary
- Invasive rats removed from Lundy Island, boosting seabird populations.
- Manx shearwater pairs increased tenfold after rat eradication.
- Marshall Islands project mirrors Lundy's success with native species return.
Invasive rats were a significant threat to seabird populations on Lundy Island, a rocky outcrop in the Bristol Channel. A dedicated campaign to eradicate these predators, starting in 2002 and concluding by 2004, aimed to protect vulnerable eggs and chicks. By 2013, surveys revealed a remarkable recovery, with Manx shearwater breeding pairs increasing from approximately 300 to 3,000. This success has continued, with later estimates indicating over 25,000 individual Manx shearwaters.
Other seabird species also benefited greatly from the rat-free environment. Guillemot numbers saw a substantial rise, with over 6,000 individuals recorded by 2021, and they began utilizing new breeding sites. Puffins and shags also showed population increases. These positive outcomes demonstrate the profound impact of predator removal on island ecosystems.
A parallel effort in the Marshall Islands, concluded in 2024, yielded similar encouraging results. This campaign removed invasive rats from Bikar Atoll and Jemo Islet, leading to the rapid return of thousands of native seedlings and a colony of about 2,000 sooty terns within a year. Both projects underscore the critical role of invasive species management in restoring ecological balance.
