A SEARCH has been launched to identify what has been eating seabirds on a tiny Scottish island.
National Trust for Scotland (NTS) said it was responding to "unusual signs" of predation by a mammal after the discovery of dead birds in Canna in the Small Isles.
The tiny island, located south of Skye, is home to thousands of birds and there are concerns there could be an invasive species on Canna.
Wildlife cameras have spotted an otter among the seabirds colonies but there are concerns a species like mink could have infiltrated the island.
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NTS said there was little information at this stage about the problem.
Ellie Owen, senior seabird officer, said: “We are responding to unusual signs of a mammalian predator in the seabird colony on Canna and we are following best practice guidance to try and establish what predator, if any, we have on the island.
“So far, our cameras have identified an otter in the colony and no mink, but we will remain fully exploring the possibility of a mink until we have completed the recommended period of monitoring.”
Mink were originally brought to Scotland as part of the fur farming industry in the 1950s.
The population of animals grew when farmers went out of business in the 1960s.
The carnivorous mammal is part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets.
Minks typically eat fish, birds, other small mammals, amphibians and insects.
Canna has had issues in the past with other mammals.
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Around 10 years ago the island had a rabbit problem, where they were blamed for causing a landslide and damaging archaeological sites.
NTS brought in a contractor, and it was estimated there were more than 16,000 rabbits on the island at the time.
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