Seabirds Make Remarkable Comeback in England’s Solent Region After 2022 Bird Flu Devastation

LONDON: Seabird populations along England’s south coast have staged a striking recovery three years after an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza wiped out entire breeding colonies, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), which credits targeted conservation work across the Solent region for the turnaround.

The most dramatic rebound has been recorded among Sandwich terns at RSPB Pagham Harbour in West Sussex. The colony was completely lost to bird flu in 2022, leaving the site with no breeding pairs. By 2026, numbers had climbed back to 756 breeding pairs, which produced 570 fledglings over a single summer.

Other species have also flourished. Black-headed gull fledglings at Pagham Harbour rose tenfold, from 51 in 2025 to 504 this year, while little tern fledglings increased from 21 to 34. The RSPB reported growth in breeding numbers of ringed plovers and oystercatchers along the same stretch of coastline, as well as notable breeding success for avocets.

Wez Smith, senior project manager at the RSPB, said Sandwich terns, black-headed gulls and Mediterranean gulls had been severely affected by the 2022 outbreak, prompting them to abandon their breeding colony at Pagham Harbour. He noted that several years of sustained conservation action had reversed the decline, with the site now supporting record-breaking populations.

Habitat improvements have played a central role in the recovery. As part of the funded works, new islands were created within the saline lagoon at Ferry Pool on the reserve to give birds such as avocets and little ringed plovers safe places to nest. Eighteen pairs of avocets bred there this year, producing 24 fledglings. The charity stressed that the islands will require ongoing management to remain in good condition for breeding seabirds. The project has also enhanced wetland habitat for mammals and invertebrates, while new pathways, viewing platforms and benches have improved facilities for visitors.

The RSPB’s work forms part of the Solent Seascape Project, a long-term, landscape-scale partnership led by the Blue Marine Foundation that aims to restore habitats and species across the strait on England’s south coast. The wider initiative covers some 52,000 hectares of coastline and estuary and includes efforts to rebuild seagrass beds, oyster reefs and saltmarsh alongside seabird recovery.

Conservationists say the results demonstrate that well-targeted, collaborative action can reverse even severe wildlife losses, and could serve as a model for other coastal areas facing pressures from disease, predation and habitat degradation.