Attraction of little terns to artificial roof-top breeding sites and their breeding success

Published source details Hayashi E., Hayakawa M., Satou T. & Masuda N. (2002) 屋上営巣誘致に成功したコアジサシの繁殖状況について . Strix, 23, 143-148.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of ground nesting seabirds Action Link
	Provide artificial nesting sites for ground and tree-nesting seabirds Action Link

Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of ground nesting seabirds

A before-and-after study in 2001-2002 in Tokyo, Japan (Hayashi et al. 2002) found that the provision of 200 chick shelters on the roof of a sewage plant in 2002, combined with the provision of nesting substrate, appeared to increase the fledging rate of a little tern Sterna albifrons colony, compared with 2001 when birds were first observed and before habitat alterations (23% of 2,665 eggs fledged in 2002 vs. 1.5 – 2.1% of 335 eggs in 2001). The nesting substrate consisted of fine-grained (2-3 mm) ‘dried sludge’ spread over 2 ha, with 30 tonnes of shell fragments, while 38% of the rooftop was painted white. Chick shelters consisted of a sheet of wire mesh spread across two bricks.
Provide artificial nesting sites for ground and tree-nesting seabirds

A before-and-after study in 2001-2 in Tokyo, Japan (Hayashi et al. 2002) found that the fledging rates in a little tern Sterna albifrons colony was higher following the provision of nesting substrate and chick shelters. This study is discussed in ‘Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks’.