Successful breeding season for Roseate Terns
21 Oct 2015
There was good news over the summer months for one of the most threatened seabirds breeding in Britain and Ireland. Roseate Terns are confined to three main breeding sites – one in Britain and two in Ireland – plus a very small number of pairs at a handful of other sites. The total population is around 1,600 pairs.
The main colony in Britain is on the RSPB's reserve on Coquet Island, Northumberland, which this year hosted 111 breeding pairs – its highest since 1970. Similarly, the colony on Rockabill Island off the Dublin coast had its best breeding season, with at least 1,388 nests found on the island this year. Finally, the other main Irish Roseate Tern colony at Lady's Island Lake in County Wexford recorded 184 nests – another bumper count. However, combined this represents over 90% of the European breeding population, rendering the region’s Roseate Terns particularly susceptible to the effects of pollution events, disturbance and invasive species.
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