First recorded in 1774 when Low, cited Foula as a breeding
site (Low, cited in Pennington et al., 2004). In the early 1800s Dunn noted
considerable numbers on Foula (Dunn, cited in Pennington et al., 2004). Then
in the 1890’s breeding was noted on ‘steep and particular dangerous slopes near
the tops of the crags’ (Evans and Buckley, cited in cited in Pennington et
al., 2004).
In 1938 an extensive colony was noted on the
Noup (Pennington et al., 2004). But by 1948 numbers were reduced to
about 50 pairs (Venables and Venables, cited in Pennington et al.,
2004).
Numbers continued to decline, until, by 1993 the
bird was believed to be extinct as a breeding bird on the island. The reason
for the birds demise is unclear, but the number of
feral cats reported in the area will not have helped.
Singles, probably passage birds, have been seen in
most years, between May and September, although there was an exceptionally
early record of a single bird seen on