Small terns depend on both the marine and coastal terrestrial environment, foraging out at sea and roosting and nesting on nearby shores. Our smallest terns, the Little and Fairy Terns, are both vulnerable to extinction.
Populations of Fairy and Little Terns are experiencing major declines across south-eastern Australia. Because of human activities and introduced species, large breeding colonies are scarce and many historical breeding sites are now deserted.
Monitoring breeding terns allows us to identify threats and keep track of population trends, guiding conservation efforts to mitigate threats and enhance their survival. However, this task is fraught with challenges, such as:
Because terns can quickly colonise then abandon a site, a breeding event can easily be missed, so we ask local communities to be vigilant and report potential colonies.
Once we know where breeding colonies are, staff and trained community volunteers can provide resources and support to make the area safe for nesting birds.
Our team of experts works with external researchers and partners to ensure we share information, identify goals and establish projects or campaigns to achieve our aims.
With funding from the Australian Government, we’re conducting a population census of Fairy Terns in south-eastern Australia in 2023/2024.
Working with Traditional Owners, tour operators, community volunteers and park rangers, we’re using volunteers to monitor Fairy Tern breeding sites across Australia, and Little Terns on the central and northern coasts of Queensland.
We’ve installed remote cameras at some breeding sites to assist with our research.
Disturbance to nesting sites is minimised by using temporary signs and fencing. Remote cameras and direct observations by volunteers reveal threats faced by nesting colonies including predators. We then work with land managers to implement predator and weed control programs.
In the Gippsland Lakes, dredged sand has been used to create more than 10 hectares of extra breeding habitat across four locations. Subsequent monitoring recorded 51 Fairy Tern chicks fledged in 2016, with another 47 fledging in 2017.
This project won a Victorian Coastal Award in 2018, in the Biodiversity Conservation Category.
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