Sandwich terns are the UK's largest tern species, forming noisy colonies that can collapse suddenly. Understanding their welfare needs helps prevent catastrophic breeding failures.
Sandwich tern colony welfare is characterised by its 'all or nothing' nature. The highly synchronised colony breeding strategy means that a single predator incursion, botulism outbreak, or severe storm can eliminate an entire year's breeding productivity. Individual adult welfare includes the costs of long migration, competition within dense colonies, and the energy demands of deep plunge-diving. Protecting colony sites from disturbance and managing botulism risk through water quality improvement are the most direct welfare interventions.