The little tern is England rarest seabird and breeds in small, vulnerable colonies on sandy beaches, requiring intensive wardening to achieve any breeding success.
Little tern welfare is in permanent crisis without intensive intervention. Natural disturbance from weather is compounded by human recreational pressure. A single event of unmanaged dog or human disturbance can cause a colony to abandon completely. Wardening schemes that prevent disturbance provide measurable welfare benefit to birds that would otherwise have near-zero breeding success.