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Seabird Haven Rebounds: Tern Colony Soars After Flu
19 Oct
Summary
- Tern colony wiped out by bird flu in 2022 has recovered.
- Conservation efforts led to a significant increase in bird populations.
- New islands and predator exclusion improved nesting success.
Conservation initiatives by the RSPB have successfully restored seabird populations along England's south coast. The sandwich tern colony at Pagham Harbour, which was completely lost to bird flu in 2022, has now rebounded to 756 breeding pairs. This recovery is part of broader success for little terns, ringed plovers, oystercatchers, and black-headed gulls in the Solent region.
This summer, Pagham Harbour hosted one of the Solent's largest sandwich tern colonies, with 570 fledglings. Black-headed gull populations saw a tenfold increase from 2025 to 2026. Conservation strategies involved creating new nesting islands, implementing predator exclusion fencing, and patrols to manage threats from mammals and human disturbance. These actions are part of the wider Solent Seascape project.
