Guillemot
| Irish Name: | Foracha |
| Scientific name: | Uria aalge |
| Bird Family: | Auks |
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Conservation status
Conservation status
Status
Resident, though occur inshore/ land during the breeding season, March/April to August/September.
Identification
The commonest species of Auk in Ireland, a highly marine species which are only found on land in the breeding season. A dark brown and white seabird, brown above and white below, with a distinct breeding plumage. In the breeding season head and neck completely dark brown, in the winter white on front of the neck and face. At a distance can be confused with Razorbill. Guillemot has a longer body, browner upperparts with less white on the side of the body and a lighter bill. Shows a darker 'armpit' than Razorbill. Seen flying in lines close to the sea with Razorbills.
Voice
Vocal in colonies with birds giving repeated nasal notes and prolonged bellowing. The young on the sea also give a high-pitched call after leaving the breeding colony.
Diet
Mainly small fish, some invertebrates, caught by surface diving.
Breeding
Comes ashore to nest from May onwards, colonies deserted by the first week in August. Nests on cliff ledges, often in large colonies, defends the smallest nest territory, sometimes only 5cm square. Restricted to cliffs with suitable ledges. Lays egg directly on to rock.
Wintering
Winters at sea. Some Irish birds are believed to winter near their breeding sites.
Monitored by
Breeding seabirds are monitored through seabird surveys carried out every 15-20 years.
Coastal breeding bird. With over 21,000 birds, Great Saltee island, off County Wexford holds one of the largest populations. The Cliffs of Moher, in Co. Clare hold over 19,000 birds. Other places include Loop Head in Co. Clare, with over 5,000 birds, and Horn Head, in County Donegal with over 6,500 birds. Numerous smaller colonies occur around the Ireland, especially on the west coast. Can also be seen on Irelands Eye and Howth Head, County Dublin.
In Winter, widespread out to sea around all coasts.
Blog posts about this bird
Victims of east coast oil spill are a stark reminder of the urgent need to plan ahead
In the first week of May, our already busy phone lines grew busier as reports of bird casualties came in from all along the east coast: Newcastle. Kilcoole. Carnsore Point.
There had been an oil spill. It was an event that we and many other organisations hoped would never happen, though one we had anticipated and tried to prepare for as much as we possibly could.
Leading the response, Kildare Wildlife Rescue (KWR) set up a network comprising their own staff and volunteers, National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) rangers, trained Oiled Wildlife Response Network (OWRN) responders, BirdWatch Ireland staff, Seal Rescue Ireland and others to ensure that as many birds as possible could be located, rescued and brought for rehabilitation.
Feathers provide birds with waterproofing that protects them from cold water reaching their skin. Even a small amount of oil can damage the structure of the feathers, compromising their waterproof quality and leaving a bird at risk of hypothermia and a rapid deterioration in body condition.
Oiled Guillemot on Wicklow Beach. Photo: BirdWatch Ireland.
Acutely aware of these dangers, we knew we had to act fast. Finding the birds wasn’t a problem, as reports of oiled birds, primarily Guillemots, came flooding in from both responders and the public. However, catching them was a slightly trickier task that required great skill, patience and care. Rescuers had to take care not to spook the birds and drive them back into the water. Guarding their own safety was also crucial, with all responders suiting up in PPE to protect themselves from the likely carcinogenic substance. Approximately 140 birds were retrieved, but this represents only a fraction of the birds affected, as it’s likely that many multiples of that number perished far offshore, never to be found. Those that were rescued may have been the so-called “lucky ones”, but they still had an extremely trying journey ahead. The rehabilitation process is both lengthy and complex, with each bird having to pass a number of veterinary examinations before it can go through the washing process. The washing procedure can last up to 45-minutes and is quite a stressful experience for a bird so it is crucial that they are in good condition before it begins. Once the washing process was complete, each bird remained in care at KWR, where they were closely monitored until they were deemed fit for release.
Oiled Guillemot at Kildare Wildlife Rescue. Photo: Kildare Wildlife Rescue.
Several of these birds were successfully released at a beach in County Wicklow recently, three weeks after they were rescued. Many others will surely follow but sadly, there will be others too weak to withstand this anthropogenic disaster. As a member of the Oiled Wildlife Response Network (OWRN), BirdWatch Ireland has been calling for the establishment of a formal national oiled wildlife response plan for many years. No words can convey the urgency of this better than the distressing images of oil-slicked seabirds fighting for their lives on Ireland’s beaches. The recent spill should serve as a warning signal for our leaders. It’s not a matter of if, but when, another similar disaster will occur and we need to do all we can to ensure we’re ready.
New protected area off Wexford coast is a step forward for vulnerable seabirds
The recent announcement of the new “Seas off Wexford” Special Protection Area (SPA) is certainly news to be welcomed.
For such a designation to be as effective as it can be, it is crucial that strong and effective conservation objectives and management plans are ambitious and that stakeholders are consulted throughout the process. It would be most welcome if the designation of new marine SPAs also led to a new vision for management of Ireland’s entire network of SPAs. BirdWatch Ireland calls on government to ensure that management plans are put in place for SPAs on both land and sea and that a whole-of-government approach is taken to implement them properly to safeguard the future of the birds they are intended to protect.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien recently designated the new SPA of marine waters off the coast of Wexford which, at over 305,000 hectares, is the largest SPA designated in the history of the state. These waters provide extremely important food sources for seabirds, including Red-listed species such as Puffin, Kittiwake, Common Scoter and many other vulnerable Amber-listed species such as Fulmar, Manx Shearwater, Shag, Cormorant, Black-headed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Roseate Tern, Red-throated Diver, Gannet, Common Tern, Little Tern, Sandwich Tern, Mediterranean Gull and Guillemot.
Kittiwake. Photo: Colum Clarke.
Under EU legislation, the Irish government has made a commitment to designate 10% of its waters as protected by 2025, and a total of 30% by 2030. This new designation increases the percentage of Ireland’s marine protected waters to 9.4%, just under the 2025 target. While this is certainly a step in the right direction, many questions remain, primarily, what will “protection” look like in practice? It is paramount that this is made clear in the soon-to-be-published SPA’s conservation objectives, which should detail the activities that will and will not be permitted in the SPA, among other measures. We look forward to reading them shortly. At the same time, BirdWatch Ireland in collaboration with BirdLife Europe and BirdLife International are mapping Ireland’s marine Important Bird Areas according to international and standardised BirdLife International criteria under a project funded by the Flotilla Foundation. This is an important time for our seabirds and it is welcome to see the government’s focus finally on setting out protected areas for them.
Red-throated Diver. Photo: Chris Gomersall
While the finer details about the Wexford SPA have yet to come to light, it is clear that certain activities will not be permitted in the Wexford SPA. The Minister has issued a Direction in relation to certain activities, which must not be carried out within or close to the SPA, unless consent is lawfully given. The listed activities are reclamation including infilling; blasting, drilling, dredging or otherwise disturbing or removing fossils, rock, minerals, mud, sand, gravel or other sediment; introduction or reintroduction of plants or animals not found in the area; scientific research which involves the removal of biological material; any activity intended to disturb birds; undertaking acoustic surveys in the marine environment and developing or consenting to the development or operation of commercial recreational/ visitor facilities or organised recreational activities.
Little Terns.
Together with our partners at Fair Seas – a coalition of Ireland’s leading environmental NGOs and environmental networks of which BirdWatch Ireland is a founding member – we have been calling for the government to meet their targets, but this alone is not enough. More action must be taken in order for us to adequately protect these important marine habitats and the many species that they support. Any move to better protect important habitats for birds is to be welcomed, and this is certainly no different. We are urging the Irish government to be ambitious in their plans for this new SPA and stress the need for focused community engagement in the surrounding areas. We also continue our urgent calls for the publication of the long-awaited Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Bill.
