Tern turnaround: colonies in England show signs of recovery after decline
Summary
Tern bird colonies in England are showing signs of recovery after facing problems like bird flu, flooding, and bad weather. The National Trust reported record numbers of little terns at Long Nanny, Northumberland, and more sandwich terns returning to breed in Norfolk.Key Facts
- Little tern pairs at Long Nanny doubled, reaching at least 126 pairs, with over 82 chicks fledging.
- The arctic tern colony at Long Nanny had around 730 breeding pairs and 1,346 eggs, a slight increase after recent declines.
- Bird flu in 2023 killed more than 600 arctic tern chicks at Long Nanny.
- Sandwich terns returned to breed at Blakeney Point in Norfolk after two years' absence, with over 1,100 pairs.
- Black tern, a rare bird in the UK, has returned for the seventh year to Long Nanny.
- The National Trust praised careful protection and management of breeding sites for helping recovery.
- Despite some improvements, there was a 27% drop in arctic tern numbers on the Farne Islands.
- Common terns were absent from the Farne Islands this year, down from five last year, and sandwich tern numbers there stayed the same at two pairs.
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