This guide provides advice and recommendations on survey methods for the census of the species of nocturnal Procellariiformes found in the UK (European Storm Petrel Hydrobates pelagicus, Leach’s Storm Petrel Oceanodroma leucorrhoa, and Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus), although many of the principles we describe will also apply to other burrow-nesting seabirds (e.g. Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica), and seabird species surveyed by call playback outside the UK

Specifically, we provide guidance on the choice of methods and a step-by-step guide to the issues that must be considered when designing a playback survey, which rely on playing a short recording of the species’ song at potential burrow entrances, along a transect, or at random points, and listening for vocal responses from breeding birds underground to identify an Apparently Occupied Site (AOS)

We provide digital audio files which have been shown to increase detection rate, and whose use is particularly recommended in situations where local survey-specific detection calibration is not possible