Wildlife Welfare

Wild Tern Colony Welfare and Management

Managing tern colony welfare through predator control, habitat management, and visitor restriction.

Key Facts

Common, arctic, little, and sandwich terns all breed in UK colonies that require careful management
Ground-nesting terns are extremely vulnerable to predator intrusion and human disturbance
Warden presence and predator exclusion fencing dramatically improve tern chick survival in managed colonies
Climate-driven food shortages for sandwich terns linked to sand eel decline are a growing welfare concern

Welfare Considerations

Tern colony welfare depends on coordinated management of predation, disturbance, and food availability. Each successful chick represents a welfare win - tern chick starvation from sand eel shortages and predation mortality during disturbance are preventable through active management and habitat protection.

What You Can Do

Respect colony exclusion zones at nature reserves during tern breeding season (April to August)
Support the Marine Conservation Society's work to protect sand eel populations
Donate to wildlife trusts managing tern colonies with warden programmes