They’ve been around for five million years
and survived ice ages. But experts say up to 90% of Britain’s favourite birds could be wiped out by 2050

The British Trust for Ornithology warns that climate change and shifts in food supply could cause up to 90 per cent of Britain’s Atlantic puffins to disappear by 2050. The warning matters because the UK has a significant share of Europe’s breeding population, although past declines have sometimes been followed by recoveries.

Britain has about 580,000 breeding pairs, roughly 9 per cent of Europe’s population. Puffins rely mainly on sand eels, and numbers have fluctuated alongside their availability; populations in Pembrokeshire and around Lundy recovered after earlier declines, aided in part by conservation and predator control. The article describes puffins’ breeding habits and adaptations, including their fish-catching bills and long-term pair bonds.