The rare little tern has had a positive breeding season this year on Norfolk’s east coast. The population of the little tern in the UK has steadily declined over the last 25 years, mostly due to human disturbance and a threat to little tern chicks from predators. For the 2017 season, there have been 260 fledging little tern chicks in Norfolk this year, says the RSPB – that’s the largest of any little tern colony in the UK!
Rare Seabird Has Successful Breeding Season in Norfolk
Each year, during their 6000-mile round trip, around a third of the breeding population of little terns chooses Norfolk for its breeding grounds. 260 little tern chicks have left Norfolk’s east coast from Sea Palling and Winterton-on-Sea, which is around 3 to 4 miles from the Broads! The chicks are headed for the wintering grounds, located in West Africa.
The RSPB and EU LIFE+ Nature Little Tern Recovery Project work together to address conservation issues which the little tern faces, whilst improving the population of the chattering seabird. Public education is also important to ensure continued breeding success during the summer months on the UK’s beaches.
