More than 25 puffins a week wash up on Channel Island beaches

Thursday, 5 March 2026 08:45

Animal protection charities are collating the numbers of dead seabirds after a change in wind direction is bringing them onto island beaches.

The puffins have been exhausted by rough seas and scarce food and their bodies have been washing up on local beaches and those in the south of the UK, Spain and France.

It's estimated that between 5,000 and 10,000 dead seabirds have washed up in Europe, and a change of wind direction is now bringing them to the Channel Islands.

In Guernsey, the GSPCA is receiving reports of around 20 birds per week, and five per week in Alderney. One found covered in oil at Port Grat last month and given the name Percival remains in the wildlife charity's care.

There are no exact numbers for Jersey, but the JSCPA alone says it has collected eight dead or dying puffins.

They are not thought to be part of the breeding population of the birds in the Channel Islands, but are part of the so called 'wreck', mid-Atlantic.

Read: Channel Islanders asked to report injured or dead seabirds

The advice from island animal charities remains in place.

If an injured bird is found, people are asked to contact these local organisations:

Jersey: JSPCA Animals’ Shelter - 01534 724331 (daytime) or 07797 720331 (out of hours)
Guernsey: GSPCA - 01481 257261
Alderney: Alderney Animal Welfare Society - alderneyanimalwelfare@outlook.com
Sark: La Société Sercquaise - wildlife@socsercq.sark.gg

If a dead bird is found:

Jersey: Natural Environment Department - environment@gov.je
Guernsey: Ornithology Section, La Societe Guernesiaise - ornithology@societe.org.gg
Alderney: Alderney Wildlife Trust - ramsar-ecologist@alderneywildlife.org or on WhatsApp - 07781 107202.
Sark: La Societe Sercquaise - wildlife@socsercq.sark.gg