A campaign has been started to encourage threatened puffins to breed on the Calf of Man once more.
The Manx Wildlife Trust together with Manx National Heritage is encouraging residents and businesses to help support the new project, which aims to attract young puffins to use the Calf as its nesting grounds.
Residents can help the project through the ‘Adopt a Puffin’ campaign in which residents can adopt a decoy puffin which will then be placed on the Calf.
The decoy puffins will be placed at two breeding sites on the west and east coast of the Calf, and puffin calls will be played to attract the birds to the island.
Lara Howe, marine officer at the trust, said global puffin numbers have been declining dramatically in recent years and the birds are now listed on the amber list of birds with conservation concerns in the UK and Ireland, and have been added to the red list for endangered species.
Lara said: ‘Puffins were once numerous around the Calf of Man, with historic reports identifying more than 800 individuals seen in coastal waters in 1996, an exceptional year. However, numbers have declined alarmingly in recent years with recent records of fewer than 10 birds observed each year. In 2014, only two individuals were seen.
‘Furthermore, 1985 is likely to be the last time we can say with confidence that puffins actually bred on the Calf.’
Lara said it is not clear what has led to the population reduction but the start of the decline appeared to coincide with the introduction of Norway rats following a shipwreck just off the Calf in the late 18th century.
In 2012, the Manx Shearwater Recovery Project was introduced to control the impact the rats had on ground nesting birds. ‘Eradication or at least continued control of rats provides a great opportunity to encourage puffins to breed on the Calf once again,’ Lara said.
It costs £29.99 to adopt a puffin decoy and participants will receive a certificate, as well as a letter containing the decoy’s location on the Calf, as well as annual updates on the progress of the project.
For more information or to adopt a puffin email Lara on lara@manxwt.org.uk