A summer visitor to the UK, this shaggy-crested tern breeds exclusively on the coast in colonies, from the Isles of Scilly to Orkney.
A few Sandwich Terns can be seen in British and Irish waters during the winter months but most leave during autumn for the coast of West Africa.
Around 2,000 Sandwich Terns are ringed at their British and Irish breeding colonies each year; the BTO Online Ringing Report records several individuals reaching ages in their late twenties and covering distances on migration in excess of 4,000 km to their wintering locations.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Sandwich Tern
Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Sandwich Tern, provided by xeno-canto contributors.
Flight call
Call
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The Sandwich Tern population has remained relatively stable over the period covered by seabird censuses, with a moderate increase of 33% between 1969–70 and 1985–88 being followed by a shallow decrease of 15% up to the Seabird 2000 Census (1998–2002) (Ratcliffe et al. 2000). Results are not yet available from the most recent Census (Seabirds Count 2015–2021), but annual monitoring by the Seabird Monitoring Programme suggests that the relative stability of the population has continued to at least 2019 (JNCC 2022).
Sandwich Terns breed in a relatively small number of large colonies scattered around the coasts of Britain and Ireland. Sandwich Tern is a regular wintering species, albeit it in very small numbers, along the North Sea coast southwards from the Firth of Forth and more regularly along the English south coast and around the Channel Islands. In Ireland records were clustered around Strangford Lough in the northeast and inner Galway Bay in the west.
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Colonies can move annually in response to changing conditions. Consequently, the distribution change map is marked by a mix of gains and losses, although overall a 22% range contraction is apparent since the 1968–72 Breeding Atlas.
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution Change 1968–72 to 2008–11. More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution Change 1981–84 to 2007–11 More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Change in occupied 10-km squares in the UK
% change in range in breeding season (1968–72 to 2008–11)
Sandwich Terns are mostly summer visitors and passage migrants in spring and autumn, although small numbers winter on the south coast.
Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells) and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
An overview of year-round movements for the whole of Europe can be seen on the EuroBirdPortal viewer.
Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland
Encountered in:
Winter (Nov-Feb); Spring (Mar-Apr); Summer (May-Jul); Autumn (Aug-Oct)
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Sandwich Tern, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
Although the population has remained relatively stable, annual productivity is highly variable (JNCC 2022) and predation by foxes may be a major driver affecting productivity and causing abandonment of some colonies (Ratcliffe et al. 2000)
SANTE 
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