Scots are being called on to help the country’s under-threat seabirds amid the devastating avian flu epidemic.
The National Trust for Scotland has highlighted five steps people can take to support iconic wildlife like our puffins and gannets.
They include taking hygiene precautions before visiting bird colonies on islands, giving wild birds space and keeping dogs on leads and aiding citizen science projects such as by logging wildlife photos online.
It comes as bird flu has ravaged coastal bird populations in recent years like great skuas and gannets.
We told last month of scientists’ fears that the massive waves of avian influenza - which have killed 97million birds worldwide - could eventually adapt to spread among humans.
NTS said climate change and rats also posed a risk to Scots species, naming puffins and storm kestrels as particularly at risk. The conservation charity has almost 1million seabirds under its care.
Ellie Owen, Senior Seabirds Officer, said: “As part of the Trust’s activity to care for Scotland’s nature, beauty and heritage, our amazing rangers and other staff will be working relentlessly this spring and summer to give our seabirds the best chance to survive and thrive in our different colonies, including on St Kilda, St Abb’s Head, Canna, Staffa, Mingulay and the Murray Isles.
“There is plenty the public can do to help us conserve and protect Scotland’s seabirds, so that future generations can marvel at them too.
“We’d be hugely grateful for our supporters’ and other people’s help on five simple steps for saving our seabirds.”
Philip Long OBE, the NTS' Chief Executive, added: "A Scotland without puffins, kittiwakes or great skuas seems unthinkable. But the threats facing these and other seabirds are so immense that we all have to think of this as a real possibility."
Top of the list of five steps is for colony visitors to follow the “check, clean, close” rule, checking your bag and clothes for pests, cleaning your boots and shoes with disinfectant and closing any food containers tight shut before starting the boat trip over.
That’s to prevent diseases or types of plants or animals that do not naturally occur there spreading - with predators like rats or stoats able to wreak havoc among eggs and chicks if they reach nests.
The public is also asked to give seabirds and nests space and keep dogs on a short lead or close to heel, particularly anywhere near where ground-nesting birds breed or feed.
Scots could also sign up to seabird or wildlife campaigns, assist with wildlife-monitoring citizen science projects or get involved with NTS seabird activities, such as their current Save our Seabirds fundraiser, the charity said.
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