Threatened Small Terns

Key points

• In Victoria, the number of Fairy Tern breeding sites has dropped from 18 to 11 in recent years, while Little Tern colonies have fallen from 18 to five
• Around Melbourne, Fairy Terns have bred successfully only once since 2016
• Little tern nesting colonies in NSW have fallen from 52 in the 1950s to 10
• In Tasmania, there were 17 Little Tern colonies in the ’90s but there are currently no more than four.

Standing up for threatened small terns

Knowing where the birds are

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:

• Difficulty in accessing island breeding sites
• Logistical issues that result in infrequent monitoring
• Because terns can quickly colonise then abandon a site, with breeding events easily going undetected. We ask local communities to be vigilant and report potential breeding colonies.

Community-based monitoring and on-ground actions

Once we know where breeding colonies are, staff and trained community volunteers can provide resources and support to protect the associated nesting habitat.

Landscape-scale actions and long-term change

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.

A big impact for small terns

Building a network of volunteers

Working with Traditional Owners, tour operators, community volunteers and park rangers, we’re using volunteers to monitor Fairy Tern breeding sites across south-eastern Australia, and Little Terns on the central and northern coasts of Queensland.

Overcoming knowledge gaps

We’ve installed remote cameras which are monitoring key breeding sites to determine local population trends.

On-ground actions

Disturbance events to nesting sites is minimised through the use of 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 remedial management actions such as predator and weed control programs.

Restoration

In the Gippsland Lakes, dredged sand has been used to create more than 1000 hectares of extra breeding habitat on Pelican Island. 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.