UK Wildlife

Common Tern Inland and Coastal Breeding

The common tern is a graceful seabird that breeds on coastal shingle and inland gravel pits, with distinctive forked tail and plunge-diving for small fish.

Key Facts

Common terns dive from height to catch small fish, hovering briefly before plunging
UK breeding population around 11,000 pairs on coasts and inland gravel pits
Summer visitor that winters in West Africa and South Africa
Aggressive defenders of nest sites, dive-bombing and defecating on intruders
Colonial nesters that benefit from protection from ground predators

Welfare Considerations

Common tern breeding success depends on undisturbed nesting areas and adequate fish supply. Disturbance at nest colonies causes chick abandonment. Provision of artificial rafts at inland sites has helped expand breeding populations.

What You Can Do

Support artificial tern raft installation at suitable inland gravel pits
Respect exclusion zones at tern colonies during breeding season
Record common tern through seabird monitoring to track population trends