Entry 3 - Fairy Terns
Fairy terns (Sternula nereis) are one of Australia’s smallest tern species and one of the most at risk, with a current conservation status of vulnerable with some populations listed as critically endangered. Fairy tern’s population decline have been due to a combination of factors including habitat loss, disturbance at breeding sites, contamination, and increased predation from feral and introduced species (foxes, cats, and rats).
The most successful breading colony of fairy terns in the South West of Australia is also the most unique colony site. The colony is situated inside Western Australia’s largest and busiest general cargo port, the Port of Fremantle. Fairy terns were known to nest in the Fremantle area up until the 1950’s but stopped using the area due to habitat loss. The fairy terns returned in the mid 1990’s following the port expansion and land reclamation. However, the colony was unsuccessfully due to heavy machinery inadvertently driving through the nesting site. During the summer of 2012 fairy terns once again returned to the port following a second land reclamation and sea wall expansion. However, unlike in the 1990’s fairy terns had become listed as a protected species and the Port moved to protect the terns breeding colony.
The Port of Fremantle set up a permeant site for the fairy terns in 2014. This site was created by raising a 3,400m2 area with dredged material, topped with sandy shelly debris, in a section of the port adjacent to the sea wall. This allowed the colony to be well positioned for access to the ocean for baitfish, their primary food source, and to provide a suitable substrate for the terns to build their nest scrapes. Fairy tern dummies were made up by community members and deployed at the site to assist with attracting the terns to the new breeding site. At the end of 2014 the terns had arrived back to Fremantle and had set up a breeding colony in the newly created fairy tern sanctuary.
Fairy terns continued to return to the Rous head site in the years following 2014 and the site now has become the most productive of all the breeding colonies of the South Western Australia with an estimated 220 breeding pairs. Male Terns court the female tern by presenting the female with a whole fish in a coition display prior to mating and male terns continue to feed their mates while they incubate small clutches of usually 1-2 eggs.
Fairy terns rear the chicks for about three weeks before the juvenile terns fledge. Although the breeding pair do alternate incubating the females typically incubate for longer than males. The male tern is the primary provider of food and it is thought that the success of the of the breeding pairs relies heavily on the provision effectiveness of the male.
Despite the concerns about the location of the sanctuary, which included: that the site is too small, the noise and lights from 24 hour port operations would disturb the colony, and that it is too close to the main road entrance to the port, the colony has been very successful. This unusual site highlights that conservation and industry can work together to provide unique and novel solutions to conservation issues with successful outcomes. All it takes is some creative thinking and cooperation.