Staff at a nature reserve in northern England were delighted by another record-breaking breeding season for a rare seabird.
The BBC reported that the last breeding colony of little terns in Yorkshire at the Beacon Lagoons enjoyed a huge upturn in breeding pairs for 2025. There were 59 breeding pairs in 2024; that number exploded to 105 in 2025. The bird's breeding population in the area hasn't been this large since the 1970s.
Mike Pilsworth, a conservation officer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, attributed the sharp increase to young adults returning for the breeding season.
He expressed hope that this year's upturn will pave the way for a bright future: "This year's success gives us real hope that we can continue to grow the population and see little terns recolonise other beaches around the Humber where they haven't nested for decades."
As the name implies, the little tern is a small seabird, about the equivalent of a tennis ball in weight. They migrate from Africa to their breeding colonies in the spring.
Though relatively common in other nations, the British breeding population has suffered a severe decline because of habitat loss, disturbances, and predation of their nests, and an ever-dwindling number of viable nesting sites.
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The Little Tern Project also notes the role of a warming atmosphere caused by human activity in eroding the coast and flooding washing away nests.
The revival of the little tern is thanks to the remarkable efforts of staff and local volunteers in safeguarding the bird's vulnerable nests.
Similar efforts around the world have owed their success to grassroots organizations pitching in. For years, volunteers and workers have built protective infrastructure and protected eggs from predators.
One of the volunteers told the BBC of their pride in seeing their efforts come to fruition: "The local community here has helped us to protect these precious birds too, helping to ensure the little terns have been given the space they need to nest and breed. Everyone is proud of what's been achieved."
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