Puffins have returned to the Isle of Muck in County Antrim for the first time in over 25 years, thanks to an ambitious conservation project aimed at removing invasive brown rats.
Ulster Wildlife, which has managed the seabird sanctuary since 1999, began a rat eradication programme in 2017 and introduced winter grazing to keep vegetation low, reducing cover for predators.
In 2024, five puffins were spotted, and earlier this spring, cameras captured two puffins visiting a nesting burrow on the cliffs, carrying food—signs that breeding may be underway.
Andy Crory, the charity’s nature reserves manager, described the sightings as a milestone. “This proves seabird restoration works,” he said, highlighting the global challenges seabirds face, with 24 out of 25 breeding species at risk of local or global extinction.
The puffins’ return adds to a growing list of conservation successes on the island, with annual surveys showing steady increases in eider ducks, guillemots, herring gulls, and lesser-backed gulls.
While it’s not yet confirmed if the puffins have successfully raised chicks, hopes are high. Crory said, “We’re excited to see if the first pufflings appear next summer, and we hope the Isle of Muck will become a thriving home for puffins and other lost seabird species like the Manx shearwater.”
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