Save our seabirds
Your generosity will support our conservation work, where nature needs it most. Every gift helps us respond to urgent challenges like those facing Puffins and other seabirds.
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The breathtaking magic of seabirds
Majestic, beautiful and enchanting, seabirds are sadly under threat.
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Help keep the colour in our coastlines
Puffins, those beautiful, charismatic clowns of the sea, are under threat. They’re on the Red List of the most endangered birds in the world. And they’re not the only seabirds in trouble. Right now, 62% of seabirds are in decline across the UK: they’re declining more than any other species. The UK is internationally important for seabird populations, so these declines aren’t just bad news for seabirds. They’re bad news for all of us.
Our seabirds are sending us a warning sign that our marine environment is in terrible decline. To save our seabirds we must first save our seas, protecting the food, habitats, and ecosystems that all wildlife depends on, including us.”
- Kirsten Carter, Head of UK Marine Policy
Why are seabirds in trouble?
Life isn’t easy for seabirds. They suffer from a range of threats. Puffins, for example, nest in burrows in the ground. Some Puffins nest on islands, where species such as rats and mice have been introduced accidentally. They can decimate Puffin populations as their eggs and chicks can make an easy meal.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu is taking the lives of many seabirds – in fact, it halved the population of Gannets on RSPB Grassholm in Wales, in a matter of months.
Species such as Fulmars are at risk from being accidentally caught in fishing gear, known as ‘bycatch.’ Longline hooks are particularly problematic, as the seabirds can get caught in them, and then drown. The problem is so extreme that, globally, it is estimated that at least 720,000 seabirds, 300,000 cetaceans, 345,000 seals and sealions, 250,000 turtles and tens of millions of sharks are perishing unnecessarily each year.
Other species are finding it difficult to survive too – and that includes food that seabirds eat, such as sandeels so beloved by Puffins. Sandeels are at risk from overfishing and the effects of climate change, which means there are fewer of them for Puffins to feed on.
Lately, we’ve seen a number of ‘seabird wrecks.’ This happens when large numbers of seabirds are washed up on our coastlines. The 2026 storms, Gareth, Ingrid, and Chandra have meant that many seabirds end up on our coastlines, having been blown off course. At least 38,000 seabirds have been stranded on the Atlantic Coast so far. With extreme weather events like these becoming increasingly common, it’s vital we give our seabirds all the support we can.
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You can help change the story
But this isn’t the end of the story. We aren’t going to sit back whilst seabirds disappear on our watch! We are working hard to save them, and you can help, too. The good news is that we know what seabirds need. And we can work hard to ensure that happens.
You can help us take action on bycatch
You could help increase Remote Electronic Monitoring on fishing vessels to help us see how and when seabirds are being caught. We can then recommend measures to reduce harm, such as fishing at night and adding weights to longlines.
You can support our campaigning work
After tireless RSPB campaigning, the closure of industrial sandeel fisheries in the English North Sea and all Scottish waters has been announced. This is a landmark win for Puffins, but we need to do more to stop seabirds starving on our shores. You can help us keep the pressure on!
You can protect Puffins from predators
You could help our work to restore the balance on islands by removing invasive predators such as rats and mice. We use specially trained detection dogs, thermal imaging technology and bait boxes to humanely catch rodents.
You can help our Avian Flu research
You can support our conservation scientists who are working hard to measure and combat the effects of Avian Flu on birds such as seabirds.
What you can do
If you donate today, you can become a guardian of our precious seabirds.