Habitats: Little Terns Bounce Back After a Record-Breaking Breeding Season

Trusted Ad Partner

Habitats: Little Terns Bounce Back After a Record-Breaking Breeding Season

22 October 2025
By James Hamilton

After years of worrying declines, one of the UK’s tiniest and most threatened seabirds — the Little Tern — is showing encouraging signs of recovery following a successful 2025 breeding season across England’s coasts.

Weighing less than a tennis ball yet capable of migrating thousands of miles from West Africa each spring, Little Terns nest on sand and shingle beaches around the UK. Their numbers have plummeted by nearly 40% since the 1980s, largely due to habitat loss, disturbance, and predation. But after years of dedicated conservation work, their fortunes may finally be turning.

Record Numbers from Dorset to Yorkshire

Monitoring by the RSPB and partners has revealed strong breeding results at several key colonies this year:

Eccles, Norfolk – Part of the RSPB-led Beach Nesting Birds Project, Eccles enjoyed a record year with 455 fledged chicks, up from 319 across East Norfolk in 2019 — the highest since Little Terns began nesting there in 2002.
Beacon Lagoons, Humber Estuary – Managed by Spurn Bird Observatory and partners, the site hosted 105 breeding pairs, the highest number in over 50 years, with 110 chicks fledging.
Pagham Harbour, West Sussex – After no chicks fledged in 2024, this year saw a welcome 21 Little Terns successfully take flight.
Chesil Beach, Dorset – The RSPB’s Chesil Little Tern Recovery Project marked its fourth consecutive productive year, with at least 39 fledged chicks, a huge leap from just three in 2021.

These local successes contribute to a broader national trend — Little Tern numbers in England have increased by 6.7% since 2019, offering hope after decades of decline.

Decades of Conservation Pay Off

Since 2014, projects such as the Little Tern LIFE Recovery Project, Solent Seascape Project, and LIFE on the Edge have united conservationists, local authorities, and volunteers to restore nesting habitats, improve predator management, and reduce human disturbance.

Working alongside Natural England, the RSPB’s Beach Nesting Bird Programme continues to safeguard sites for Little Terns and other vulnerable shorebirds like Ringed Plovers and Oystercatchers.

“Little Terns were in a downward spiral for years, so it’s wonderful to see early signs that they might be climbing back,” said Chantal MacLeod-Nolan, Seabird Project Recovery Officer at the RSPB. “It’s not all smooth sailing — with emerging threats like avian flu — but these results show what’s possible when communities and conservationists work together.”

A Timely Success Story

The news comes shortly after World Migratory Bird Day (11 October), which celebrates the incredible journeys of species like the Little Tern and highlights the importance of protecting global coastlines.

Adding to the good news, England’s East Coast Wetlands — stretching from north Norfolk to Lincolnshire — were added to the UK’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites in 2023, recognising their international importance for migratory birds.

For birdwatchers across the UK, these positive results are a welcome reminder that with the right protection, even the most vulnerable seabirds can make a comeback.

Little tern parent and chicks. Image credit: Kevin Simmonds

OTHER POPULAR STORIES TO READ:

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works