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Roseate tern BAP report

Roseate tern pair performing courtship display
The roseate tern is one of our rarest seabirds

What are we trying to achieve?

The Government agreed a Biodiversity Action Plan for this species in 1998. The targets for this plan were reviewed in 2006 and are as follows:

  • Increase the UK roseate tern population to 130 pairs by 2010, 155 pairs by 2015 and 180 pairs by 2020
  • Maintain favourable conditions at current and historical breeding sites in the UK to ensure there is a minimum of five colonies with at least ten pairs in each by 2008
  • Enable roseate tern productivity at all colonies to average above 1.2 fledged young per pair for each of three successive years within each five-year period

What is the RSPB doing to help?

The RSPB has carried out a detailed programme of work over many years, to research the causes of roseate tern population decline and factors affecting breeding success and survival, both in the UK and overseas.

In 2006 the RSPB:

  • Continued to monitor populations of roseate tern breeding in the UK
  • Continued studies of demography, productivity and intercolony movements at colonies in the UK and Ireland
  • Carried out management on RSPB reserves with breeding roseate tern (Coquet Island, Northumberland and small colonies in the Firth of Forth and Northern Ireland). This included vegetation management, the creation of nesting areas and provision of nest boxes
  • Worked in association with other organisations to ensure other breeding sites are managed favourably for roseate tern
  • Worked with partners in other countries to ensure continued international co-operation on research, monitoring and management of the north-east Atlantic roseate tern population

Summary of progress

There was a second successive increase of roseate terns in the UK from 103 pairs in 2005 to 106-107 pairs in 2006. Numbers at the RSPB reserve on Coquet Island increased from 91 pairs in 2005 to 94 pairs in 2006 (there were just 42 pairs in 2001). This is the only UK site that regularly supports more than 10 pairs.
 
All the roseate tern colonies in the United Kingdom are now within existing reserves, managed by a variety of groups including the RSPB, National Trust, Scottish Wildlife Trust and some local groups. All UK breeding sites for roseate tern have been designated as Special Protection Areas.

Artificial nesting sites have been provided on an experimental basis (for example 75 nest boxes have been provided on prepared terraces on Coquet Island) to provide more nesting habitat, so that all birds of breeding age are able to breed. Vegetation management is being carried out at some sites, either to provide more cover or, on sites like Coquet and Inchmickery, to suppress tall dense vegetation.

The RSPB has previously co-funded an educational programme in Ghana to try to reduce the level of winter trapping.

Has our work been effective?

To an extent. All but one UK breeding site is managed by RSPB, and Coquet Island continues to support by far the largest breeding colony. However, the future of roseate terns in the UK is by no means certain. The population at UK breeding sites declined during the 1990s whilst there was an increase at the main colonies in the Republic of Ireland, suggesting that birds had relocated, as supported by sightings of ringed birds. Predation continues to be an issue. As yet there is no evidence that increased use of nest boxes has reduced disturbance or nest predation. Population fluctuations are likely to continue in relation to changes in fish stocks but the widespread decline in the north-east Atlantic population is of concern.

Available evidence suggests that variations in first year survival are determining the population of the north-east Atlantic roseate tern population. On their African wintering grounds, young birds are easily attracted to the beaches by scraps of food and lured into traps. While, compared to other tern species, breeding productivity appears to be high (generally 1 or more chick per pair), adult survival is low (80%). This means that the focus of the management effort has to be on reducing mortality in the wintering grounds.

What do we plan to do next?

We will:

  • Continue to monitor the UK breeding population of roseate terns
  • Continue to provide suitable nesting sites at each nesting locality under RSPB management
  • Encourage the appropriate management and monitoring of the other sites at which roseate terns currently nest, and those where colonies occurred historically
  • Continue to liase with the conservation groups that manage the other breeding sites

What are the constraints to fully achieving the targets?

Some issues are beyond the RSPB’s control or are factors that we can only influence indirectly. The most significant blocks to achieving the Biodiversity Action Plan targets in our view are:

  • Public awareness of this species and its conservation requirements in West Africa

Acknowledgements

The RSPB is grateful to Northumbrian Water for its past support for roseate tern conservation work.

Last modified: 04 September 2007