Observations on the effects of low-flying aircraft at seabird colonies on the coast of Aberdeenshire,Scotland |
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| Authors: | GM Dunnet |
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| Institution: | Zoology Department, University of Aberdeen, Scotland |
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| Abstract: | The greatly increased use of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to support the exploration and exploitation of oilfields in the North Sea gives rise to concern about possible disturbance to seabirds breeding in the flight paths. The observations reported in this paper were made at a mixed colony of fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis), shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), herring gulls (Larus argentatus), kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), guillemots (Uria aalge), razorbills (Alca torda), and puffins (Fratercula arctica), breeding on the Buchan cliffs about 40 km north of Aberdeen, on two days during egg-laying and early nestling stages of the breeding season.The number of birds in attendance at nests or nesting ledges were counted before and after the passage of aircraft, and general observations were made when the planes were overhead. The number of identifiable nests with 0, 1 or 2 adults was noted since disturbance might be most sensitively detected by the departure of non-incubating/brooding adults.No evidence was found to suggest that aircraft flying at heights of about 100 m above the cliff-top affected the attendance of incubating and brooding birds, and there was only a slight indication that a few of the ‘second adults’ at kittiwake nests may have flown off. Groups of kittiwakes resting on nearby cliffs or on the sea did take to the air in response to the planes, but they also did so frequently in the course of the day with no obvious cause. It is stressed that these findings cannot be extrapolated to other species of seabirds or to different conditions. |
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