Puffins Vanishing From Famous Colony Thanks To Invasive Plant - Scotsman

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A COLONY of puffins which attracts tourists from around the world may disappear due to an alien plant which is destroying their burrows. The island of Craigleith in the Firth of Forth once had a population of 28,000 puffins. But this has halved in five years with the spread of the tree mallow plant.

Scientists are looking to create havens for the birds on nearby islands, because enabling them to remain on Craigleith would require intense, long-term management of the plant, which could prove unfeasible. Volunteers are to be recruited to help cut down tree mallow on Fidra, off North Berwick, to protect the birds.

Tree mallow was introduced to the nearby Bass Rock 400 years ago by sheep farmers because its woolly leaves made good bandages. It has spread to other islands as its seeds can survive in water for more than three months.

Mild winters caused by climate change are thought to have helped accelerate the spread in the last few years, with the plant taking root in puffins' burrows and leaving them homeless. Controlling the smaller amount of tree mallow on Fidra could make the island a haven for some of the puffins driven from Craigleith.

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http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=923602006

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1. that sucks, I always thought puffins were the coolest birds n/t