BirdWatch Ireland staff were pleasantly surprised to find that the very rare Roseate Tern is nesting in the Dublin Port tern colony this summer.
Roseate Terns are one of the rarest nesting seabirds in all of Europe. Long-term conservation efforts by BirdWatch Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service at Rockabill Island in north Dublin and Lady’s Island Lake in Wexford have led to those sites supporting around 85% and 10% of the entire European population each summer. Other colonies include Coquet Island in England, and Brittany in France, but otherwise only single pairs are occasionally found in Northern Ireland, Wales and England. Despite efforts at many tern sites over the years to attract Roseate Terns, they have traditionally been very reluctant to spread out from their core colonies.
Unlike other Terns that nest in the open, Roseate Terns nest in sheltered locations. This bird in Dublin Port is entering its nest site (May 2026).
Roseate Tern leaving its nest in Dublin Port in May 2026.
“They are a species that we always suspected might try to nest in Dublin Port at some stage, but the last possible breeding record here was in the 1970s, and even that wasn’t confirmed”, said Helen Boland, Dublin Bay Birds Project manager with BirdWatch Ireland. “We’ve worked hard with Dublin Port Company and the Irish Nautical Trust to protect and increase the numbers of Common and Arctic Terns here, following on from work by Oscar Merne and NPWS. We know Roseate Terns like to nest with these species for the protection they get from them, and parts of the nesting platforms and pontoons provide the kind of shelter that Roseates prefer for nesting. We’re just hoping now that the weather and fish supply in Dublin Bay mean they will nest successfully, fledge some chicks, and hopefully they’ll be back next year!”.
A total of five pairs of nesting Roseate Terns have been confirmed in Dublin Port this year. This now provides a great opportunity for birdwatchers and the general public to see these rare birds in an accessible location. “It’s really welcome news that not only have Roseate Terns spread from their main colonies, but the fact that there are multiple pairs rather than just one will hopefully mean they stick around for many years to come.” said Brian Burke, Senior Seabird Scientist at BirdWatch Ireland. “The projects at Rockabill and Lady’s Island have been unbelievably successful at increasing the numbers of these birds, but we can’t have all of our eggs in those two ‘baskets’, so hopefully a few more pioneering birds will take a look at other tern colonies in Ireland and further afield in the coming years to help safeguard their future.”
The Dublin Bay Birds Project is funded by Dublin Port Company. We are very grateful to them for supporting and funding this work in Dublin Port to protect the important Common, Arctic and now Roseate Tern colony.
