Wildlife Welfare

Wild Tern Colony Protection

Tern colonies are highly vulnerable to disturbance and predation during the breeding season. Active colony protection improves both individual welfare and breeding success.

Key Facts

Common, arctic, little, and sandwich terns all breed in vulnerable coastal colonies
Ground-nesting eggs and chicks are highly susceptible to disturbance and predation
Warden schemes at key colonies significantly improve productivity
Electric fencing excludes ground predators from some accessible colony sites
Climate change and sea level rise threaten low-lying tern nesting sites

Welfare Considerations

Tern welfare during the breeding season is directly affected by disturbance and predation. Active management including wardening, predator control, and visitor management protects both individual birds and population viability.

What You Can Do

Respect exclusion zones around tern colonies during breeding season
Keep dogs on leads near tern nesting areas
Support volunteer wardening programmes at tern colonies
Donate to organisations managing tern colony protection sites