Puffin breeding sites in Europe could be lost by end of century, experts warn

Researchers have put together a guide on how the birds can be protected from worsening conditions

Puffin breeding grounds across western Europe could be threatened by climate change (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Around 68 per cent of puffin breeding sites across Western Europe could be lost by end of the century due to the impacts of the climate crisis, experts say.

Researchers from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Cambridge University say increased human activity near nesting sites and changes to the availability of food and extreme weather due to global heating is to blame.

Breeding spots most at risk include sites along the coast of Scotland, the west coast of Ireland, Iceland, Norway, and parts of northwest Russia.