Cormorant sightings in Wiltshire spark concerns about their impact on local fish populations and other wildlife.
Wiltshire has ideal spots for birds. Grasslands and river valleys are good, and lakes also help many bird species live in the county all year.
BirdGuides reported these sightings early in 2025. The Wiltshire Ornithological Society also saw them as these birds flew across Wiltshire skies.
Cormorants also like Wiltshire now. Waterways and fisheries attract them, and these predatory birds are thriving there, too.
Mike Lawn saw six cormorants near a boat club in Bradford on Avon. He shared this sighting on Facebook.
People wondered about the bird’s arrival, and they worried cormorants might be a threat, especially in south Wiltshire.
One person said sea fish are declining, which is why cormorants move inland. They may swarm everywhere, looking for food.
Another person talked about fish size. Cormorants eat smaller fish, but fisheries now stock bigger fish that are too big for cormorants to lift.
Cormorants moved to rivers, instead, causing problems for other wildlife. These animals eat small fish, but cormorants may move on.
Baltic states asked for change last year, urging the EU to change cormorant rules so they could hunt cormorants with protection.
Cormorant and seal numbers grew quickly, hurting recovery of rare fish in the Baltic region.
A Czech minister said cormorants cause damage equaling about nine million euros in his country. Cormorants hurt producers and biodiversity.