During a study of the diet of the chicks of Common Guillemots Uria aalge at the Flamborough and Filey Coast Special Protection Area, Yorkshire, between 5th June and 2nd July 2023, KC made observations to establish the identity of 913 fish delivered to chicks. All chick feeds comprised a single fish, the commonest prey items being clupeids (743, 88.2%), likely Sprats Sprattus sprattus. Other prey items were ammodytids (79, 9.4%), probably Raitt’s Sandeels Ammodytes marinus or Common Sandeels A. tobianis;Lesser Weevers Echiichthys vipera (15, 1.8%); and a final 0.6% comprising three gadids, one Butterfish Pholis gunnellus, one European Common Squid Alloteuthis subulata and one large prawn (Clarkson 2023).
Common Guillemots delivering Lesser Weever fish to their chicks
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