Average clutch size for a Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) colony on Lundy

Kittiwake populations on Lundy have been in decline for many years. Davis & Jones (2007) give population data from 1939 to 2004. In 1939 there were 3,000 occupied nests. The next year for which there was a complete survey was 1950, when there were 1,387 occupied nests. Between 1950 and 1973 there were a further 11 complete surveys and the numbers peaked at 2,026 and dropped to 718, with some fluctuations. Since 1981 (with 933 occupied nests) there has been a steady decline (eight complete surveys), to a population of 148 occupied nests in 2004. The Seabird Register for 2008 and 2013 adds to this story, giving figures of 151 and 127 occupied nests (see Price, Slader & Booker, 2013; Figure 1)