UK’s smallest seabird regularly flies more than 180 miles, experts discover

‘New findings such as these must be heeded by governments if we are to see a reversal of downward trends,’ says RSPB

Storm petrels relied more on inshore waters than researchers had expected (iStock)

Scientists using GPS tags to track the movements of the UK’s tiniest seabird have discovered it regularly travels up to 186 miles to feed in stormy waters off Shetland.

They were surprised to find the storm petrel concentrated on two sites away from areas where high numbers have previously been observed.

The species is the UK’s smallest seabird, weighing just 25-30g – the same as three £1 coins.