Maine seabirds see record breeding year
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Researchers in Maine reported a successful breeding season for several seabird species in 2024, with razorbills and puffins showing particularly strong numbers.
On Seal Island, located 21 miles off the coast of Rockland, Coco Faber and her team recorded a record 127 active razorbill nests. This is a remarkable change for the species, which was rarely seen in Maine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and only began breeding on the island in 1999.
The Audubon Seabird Institute, formerly Project Puffin, successfully reintroduced puffins to Seal Island, which may have attracted the razorbills. While the puffin population also thrived, reaching 672 pairs, the razorbill population grew slowly at first. Other islands also saw record numbers of puffin and razorbill nests. Researchers on Eastern Egg Rock counted 213 puffin burrows, while Petit Manan Island had 103. Matinicus Rock saw a record 419 razorbill nests.
The positive results followed a couple of years of stable ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Maine, after a period of rapid warming. Birds benefited from plentiful fish like sand lance, herring, haddock, and squid. Researchers also observed positive trends for other species like roseate and common terns, as well as glossy ibis and yellow-crowned night herons on Stratton Island. However, Arctic terns experienced a poor breeding season, with many chicks failing to thrive despite arriving in good condition.
