Puffins Make Long-Awaited Return to Isle of Muck

Puffins have returned to the Isle of Muck in County Antrim for the first time in a quarter of a century, marking a major breakthrough for seabird conservation in Northern Ireland.

Ulster Wildlife confirmed the birds’ reappearance after cameras captured two puffins emerging from a burrow on the island’s cliff ledges this summer; strong evidence that they are now breeding. Five birds were first seen prospecting the site in 2024.

Their comeback follows a long-running restoration effort launched in 2017 to eliminate invasive brown rats, which prey on eggs and chicks. Winter grazing has also been introduced to keep vegetation low and limit cover for predators. Surveys in recent years have shown steady increases in other seabirds, including eider ducks, guillemots and herring gulls.

Nature reserves manager Andy Crory said stories of puffins once nesting there had seemed mythical, but years of work are finally paying off.

“That myth is becoming a reality,” he said. He added that although the colony is small: “This moment is huge – it proves that seabird restoration works.”

The charity hopes the island will eventually support larger puffin numbers and attract species long lost from the area. Members of the public are urged to keep their distance to avoid disturbing the birds.

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