Endangered Balaeric Shearwaters, Native To Mediterrenean, Relocate To UK

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Warmer sea temperatures brought by climate change are driving a rare and endangered seabird into British waters in search of food. About 10 per cent of the entire population of breeding Balearic shearwaters - 1200 birds - were spotted off the coast between summer and autumn.

They were spotted by scientists from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and the RSPB who have been monitoring numbers of the birds off the coast of south west England. Balearic shearwaters are the only European seabird to be classified as 'critically endangered' and if their current decline continues they could be extinct by 2050. The survey builds upon new research recently published in the Royal Society journal, Biology Letters, which highlighted global warming as a key factor in the increase of UK Balearic shearwater sightings.

Dr Russell Wynn, who is co-ordinating the SeaWatch SW survey, said: "Balearic shearwaters leave their Mediterranean breeding colonies in late summer and head for richer feeding grounds along north Atlantic coasts. The numbers recorded during the survey this year show how important our inshore waters are to this highly vulnerable seabird".

Research has shown Atlantic sea surface temperatures rose by 0.6 degrees Celsius in the mid-1990s, triggering a northwards shift in the Balearic shearwater's range as it pursued its prey fish species.

EDIT

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2007/10/16/eashear116.xml