Wildlife Conservation

Wild Common Tern Breeding Colony Welfare

Common terns breed in dense colonies on coastal and inland sites. Colony welfare depends on predator management, human disturbance prevention and food availability.

Key Facts

Common terns breed colonially on islands, coastal gravel bars and specially created rafts
Colony defence involves aggressive mobbing of intruders including humans and predators
Breeding success is highly variable and dependent on sand eel availability in coastal colonies
Tern rafts provided by wildlife organisations have enabled colony establishment on new sites
Brown rats are the primary nest predator threatening tern colony welfare and productivity

Welfare Considerations

Tern colony welfare depends on predator-free nesting sites with accessible fish prey. Conservation management that provides safe nesting platforms and controls predators enables successful breeding.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB tern conservation projects including Little Tern wardens
Record common tern breeding success through BTO nest recording schemes
Avoid approaching tern colonies during the breeding season to prevent disturbance