Nest boxes for roseate terns Sterna dougallii on Coquet Island RSPB reserve, Northumberland, England

Abstract

Since the mid 1970s the number of nesting roseate terns Sterna dougallii had declined on Coquet island. In 2000, tern nest boxes were installed on an artificial terrace on the island to provide shelter for tern eggs and chicks from their main nest predators, larger Larus gulls. Since 2003, all roseate terns breeding on Coquet Island have used nest boxes as nest sites and the number of breeding pairs has risen steadily.