‘We’ve underrated what these birds can do’: the secret life of Skomer’s guillemots

‘Sitting in a hide on Skomer and watching a guillemot ledge is like watching an episode of EastEnders,’ says Prof Tim Birkhead. Photograph: Klaus Nigge

For the past 52 summers, Tim Birkhead has inched along the vertiginous cliffs to count, ring and observe the guillemots that nest in their thousands on the Welsh island of Skomer. His life’s work offers unrivalled insight into seabirds in an era of climate breakdown and also reveals the unexpectedly colourful lifestyles of these gregarious birds.

Having crowdfunded his research for the past decade, the emeritus professor is now seeking to raise £125,000 to support his guillemot study in perpetuity.