Welcome
A companion to The Birds of Lundy published in 2007, this website provides easily accessible updates to the species accounts. This includes any information that adds significantly to our knowledge of the island’s commoner birds, as well as details of rare and unusual species recorded since 2007. A fully revised 2nd edition of the book is in preparation.
The species accounts, including ringing controls & recoveries, have been updated to the end of 2023, with some additional highlights also added for 2024. The pages summarising Ringing and Breeding have also been updated to the end of 2023.
You can This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to receive notification of updates.
Bird recording on Lundy and re-establishment of Lundy Bird Observatory
From 1947 to the end of 2022, bird recording on Lundy was coordinated by the Lundy Field Society (LFS), which published the annual Lundy Bird Report during this period. Tim Davis & Tim Jones served as Lundy Bird Recorders on behalf of LFS from 2007 until 2022, having taken over the voluntary role from Tony Taylor, who himself carried the baton for some 20 years.
Early in 2023, the Bird Observatories Council accredited Lundy as part of the network of British & Irish Bird Observatories following a concerted effort involving many individuals and organisations. This was technically a re-accreditation since Lundy previously held Bird Observatory status until the early 1970s. The Observatory has now taken on responsibility for coordinating all aspects of ornithology on the island, including a daily census, an extensive programme of ringing (see below) and preparation and publication of the annual Bird Report, working in close cooperation with the LFS, Devon Bird Recorder and the Devon Birds Records Committee (DBRC).
For ease of access – and also to encourage entries from visitors – the island's logbook for bird and other natural history records is kept on open shelves in the Marisco Tavern. A logbook call-over, to which all visitors and island residents are warmly welcome, whether or not they consider themselves birdwatchers, is held in the Tavern most evenings, typically at about 8pm; the Observatory Warden will gladly provide further details. Additional information, following a visit to or stay on Lundy, can also be submitted to the Observatory by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Bird ringing on Lundy
Apart from breeding-season studies of Manx Shearwaters, Storm Petrels, Wheatears and House Sparrows, bird ringing efforts are particularly focused on the spring and autumn migration periods. By the end of 2023, an impressive 136,523 birds of 180 species had been ringed on Lundy, the most recent addition to the species list being Waxwing in 2023. The highest number of species caught in any one year was 70 in 1966, whilst the highest annual total of birds ringed to date is 4,924 in 2009. All ringing on the island is coordinated by Lundy Bird Observatory. Qualified bird ringers interested in visiting the island should contact the Observatory Warden by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Raising funds for conservation research
Proceeds from sales of the 1st edition of The Birds of Lundy were held in a special fund – The Birds of Lundy Fund – managed by Devon Birds, to be spent on bird-related projects on Lundy. The total amount raised exceeded £17,000.
Grants from the Fund, which is now closed, supported:
- Tracking studies of Lundy's Manx Shearwaters during the period 2010 to 2013
- A study of the population dynamics and foraging behaviour of Lundy’s Peregrine Falcons in 2014 and 2015
- The ongoing colour-ringing study of Wheatears on Lundy during its first two seasons (2013 and 2014)
- Purchase of rings for the long-running ringing study of Lundy's Manx Shearwaters
- Production of a leaflet on Lundy bird ringing.
Puffin by Mike Langman from The Birds of Lundy
For the latest sightings and photos of birds on Lundy visit the
Lundy Bird Observatory website