VULNERABILITY OF SCOTTISH SEABIRDS TO OFFSHORE WIND

The project considers the vulnerability of seabird species to interactions (collision and displacement) with offshore wind farms.


2.4 UK threat status

This factor reflects both threat and conservation status of the species in the UK, as given by Eaton et al. (2009) 'Birds of Conservation Concern 3' (BOCC3). For some species, the classification in BOCC3 differs from that in the previous assessment (BOCC2), and these changes are also taken into account here, given the implications of changes in status. Scores were allocated as follows: 1 (green in BOCC2 and BOCC3), 2 (amber in BOCC2 and green in BOCC3), 3 (green in BOCC2 and amber in BOCC3), 4 (amber in BOCC3 and BOCC2), 5 (red in BOCC3) ( Table 2).

Table 2. Threat status of seabirds based on BOCC2 and BOCC3 classifications

Species Scientific name Classification in BOCC2 Classification in BOCC3 Score
Greater scaup Aythya marila Amber Red 5
Common eider Somateria mollissima Amber Amber 4
Long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis Amber Green 2
Common scoter Melanitta nigra Red Red 5
Velvet scoter Melanitta fusca Amber Amber 4
Common goldeneye Buchephala clangula Amber Amber 4
Red-throated diver Gavia stellata Amber Amber 4
Black-throated diver Gavia arctica Amber Amber 4
Great northern diver Gavia immer Amber Amber 4
Great-crested grebe Podiceps cristatus Green Green 1
Slavonian grebe Podiceps auritus Amber Amber 4
Northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis Amber Amber 4
Sooty shearwater Puffinus griseus Green Amber 3
Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus Amber Amber 4
European storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus Amber Amber 4
Leach's storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa Amber Amber 4
Northern gannet Morus bassanus Amber Amber 4
Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Amber Green 2
Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis Amber Amber 4
White-tailed eagle Haliaetus albicilla Red Red 5
Arctic skua Stercorarius parasiticus Green Red 5
Great skua Stercorarius skua Amber Amber 4
Black-headed gull Larus ridibundus Amber Amber 4
Common gull Larus canus Amber Amber 4
Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus Amber Amber 4
Herring gull Larus argentatus Amber Red 5
Great black-backed gull Larus marinus Green Amber 3
Black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla Amber Amber 4
Little tern Sternula albifrons Amber Amber 4
Sandwich tern Sterna sandvicensis Amber Amber 4
Common tern Sterna hirundo Green Amber 3
Roseate tern Sterna dougallii Red Red 5
Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea Amber Amber 4
Common guillemot Uria aalge Amber Amber 4
Razorbill Alca torda Amber Amber >4
Black guillemot Cepphus grylle Amber Amber 4
Little auk Alle alle Green Green 1
Atlantic puffin Fratercula arctica Amber Amber 4

Table 3. Summary scores (Importance Scores) for status and conservation concern

Species Percent of biogeographic population score Adult survival score UK threatstatus score Birds Directive score Total Importance Score
Greater scaup 2 1 5 3 11
Common eider 2 4 4 3 13
Long-tailed duck 2 1 2 3 8
Common scoter 2 2 5 3 12
Velvet scoter 2 2 4 3 11
Common goldeneye 2 3 4 3 12
Red-throated diver 4 3 4 5 16
Black-throated diver 3 4 4 5 16
Great northern diver 5 4 4 5 18
Great-crested grebe 2 1 1 3 7
Slavonian grebe 3 1 4 5 13
Northern fulmar 4 5 4 3 16
Sooty shearwater 1 5 3 3 12
Manx shearwater 5 5 4 3 17
European storm-petrel 3 5 4 5 17
Leach's storm-petrel 2 5 4 5 16
Northern gannet 5 5 4 3 17
Great cormorant 3 3 2 3 11
Shag 5 3 4 3 15
White-tailed eagle 1 1 5 5 12
Arctic skua 3 3 5 3 14
Great skua 5 4 4 3 16
Black-headed gull 2 3 4 3 12
Common gull 3 3 4 3 13
Lesser black-backed gull 4 5 4 3 16
Herring gull 3 5 5 3 16
Great black-backed gull 4 5 3 3 15
Black-legged kittiwake 4 3 4 3 14
Little tern 2 2 4 5 13
Sandwich tern 2 4 4 5 15
Common tern 2 4 3 5 14
Roseate tern 1 4 5 5 15
Arctic tern 4 4 4 5 17
Common guillemot 5 4 4 3 16
Razorbill 4 5 4 3 16
Black guillemot 4 4 4 1 13
Little auk 1 4 1 3 9
Atlantic puffin 4 5 4 3 16

Table 4. Species rankings based on conservation importance score

Species Percent of biogeographic population score Adult survival score UK threat status score Birds Directive score Total Importance Score
Great northern diver 5 4 4 5 18
Northern gannet 5 5 4 3 17
Manx shearwater 5 5 4 3 17
European storm-petrel 3 5 4 5 17
Arctic tern 4 4 4 5 17
Lesser black-backed gull 4 5 4 3 16
Great skua 5 4 4 3 16
Black-throated diver 3 4 4 5 16
Red-throated diver 4 3 4 5 16
Razorbill 4 5 4 3 16
Atlantic puffin 4 5 4 3 16
Northern fulmar 4 5 4 3 16
Common guillemot 5 4 4 3 16
Herring gull 3 5 5 3 16
Leach's storm-petrel 2 5 4 5 16
Shag 5 3 4 3 15
Sandwich tern 2 4 4 5 15
Great black-backed gull 4 5 3 3 15
Roseate tern 1 4 5 5 15
Common tern 2 4 3 5 14
Arctic skua 3 3 5 3 14
Black-legged kittiwake 4 3 4 3 14
Black guillemot 4 4 4 1 13
Common eider 2 4 4 3 13
Common gull 3 3 4 3 13
Little tern 2 2 4 5 13
Slavonian grebe 3 1 4 5 13
Sooty shearwater 1 5 3 3 12
Common scoter 2 2 5 3 12
Common goldeneye 2 3 4 3 12
Black-headed gull 2 3 4 3 12
White-tailed eagle 1 1 5 5 12
Greater scaup 2 1 5 3 11
Velvet scoter 2 2 4 3 11
Great cormorant 3 3 2 3 11
Little auk 1 4 1 3 9
Long-tailed duck 2 1 2 3 8
Great-crested grebe 2 1 1 3 7

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