We are pleased to share with you the latest end of year report from Emeritus Professor Tim Birkhead about his ongoing work monitoring the Guillemot populations at Skomer Island.
Tim has been studying the guillemots at Skomer every summer for over five decades. This year, Tim discusses concerns including the consequences of climate change on guillemot food sources and his difficulty in finding a researcher to take over his work. Despite these issues, we hear about many positives including the recruitment of Pete Richards (the son of one of Tim’s former students), and teamwork and resilience in the face of adversity.
We also hear about how Tim has been engaging with both the public and academic community through talks, conferences, and an appearance on Radio 4. If you’d like to read more about Tim’s research, Tim’s book The Great Auk: its Extraordinary Life, Hideous Death and Mysterious Afterlife was published in March, in addition to his publications in British Birds in January and British Wildlife magazine in February.
Finally, the short film about the Skomer guillemot study, The Birdman of Skomer, made by Edo Dzafic, will be shown at several film festivals in 2025 and 2026. If you haven’t seen this yet, I’d encourage you to watch – it makes a compelling viewing.
If you have any questions about the project, please contact Tim directly at
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