Roseate terns born in Hampshire

We’re excited to share that this summer two roseate terns have been born and raised in Hampshire. These chicks are the first to be born at this spot in Hampshire and it’s all thanks to the conservation work of our ranger team, volunteers, and other wildlife organisations. Read on to find out more about roseate terns and Hampshire’s newest arrivals.

Photo credit: Steve Laycock 

Facts about roseate terns

Scientific name: Sterna dougallii

Length: 33-38cm

Wingspan: 72-80cm

Weight: 95-130g

Average lifespan: 8 years

When to see: May to August

First documented occurrence: Strathclyde, 1812

Conservation status: Red listed in the UK and protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.

Roseate terns are extremely rare and are protected in the UK. While they are part of the reason the Solent and Southampton Water is designated as a Special Protection Area, they primarily only breed in Northumberland. In fact, there has only ever been a maximum of three pairs of roseate terns in Hampshire per year.

Photo credit: Steve Laycock 

Hampshire’s new roseate terns

Until this year, we’ve not been lucky enough to have breeding roseate terns settling on the Lymington-Keyhaven Nature Reserve. However, in a rare tern (!) of events, this year a breeding pair of roseate terns settled at the reserve. Two roseate tern chicks were then born and raised by their parents at Normandy Lagoon. While they grew, they were carefully guarded by our team, with help from members of the Hampshire Ornithological Society and RSPB. This is the first record of the species managing to produce chicks at this spot on our coast.

The first chick was spotted on 17 June, followed by the second a few days later. The baby birds grew quickly, eating a delicious diet of sand eels and small squid provided by their parents. By mid-July, both chicks had taken their first flights.

The roseate tern family have now left Normandy Lagoon to fly to west Africa where they spend the winter.

Photo credit: Steve Laycock 

Conservation at Lymington-Keyhaven Marshes Local Nature Reserve

Lymington-Keyhaven Marshes Local Nature Reserve is an area of coastal grazing marsh with lagoons lying inside the seawall connected to the sea by sluices. This makes the reserve a perfect habitat for overwintering birds and summer visitors, including roseate terns.

We’ve been working together with our volunteers and other wildlife organisations to encourage nesting and breeding. Our work has included creating tailored habitats for birds and installing fencing to deter predators. This has increased the number of nesting birds on the reserve including avocets, oystercatchers, little terns and common terns.

While the lagoons aren’t accessible to visitors, you can still visit the reserve and view them from the seawall path. Why not visit the reserve to see the other birds and wildlife which live there?