Fairy tern chick and eggs. Photos: Harriet Fallaw By Lisa Gilbert
Phillip Island Nature Parks (PINP) is celebrating the fledging of 65 fairy tern chicks on the island, the first fledgings since 2020.
The achievement marks a monumental year for the Critically Endangered seabirds, after Nature Parks improved their breeding habitat.
Since 2016, the only successful breeding in the Western Port and Port Phillip was on Phillip Island in 2019-20 when 31 fairy tern pairs fledged 49 chicks. Since then, there has been no successful breeding of fairy terns due to pests, weed infestation and human disturbance. In 2023 nests were inundated by high tides.
Phillip Island Nature Parks (PINP) is celebrating the fledging of 65 fairy tern chicks on the island, the first fledgings since 2020.
The achievement marks a monumental year for the Critically Endangered seabirds, after Nature Parks improved their breeding habitat.
Since 2016, the only successful breeding in the Western Port and Port Phillip was on Phillip Island in 2019-20 when 31 fairy tern pairs fledged 49 chicks. Since then, there has been no successful breeding of fairy terns due to pests, weed infestation and human disturbance. In 2023 nests were inundated by high tides.
The new breeding site – twice the size of the MCG – expanded the breeding habitat of the seabirds away from the shoreline.
The project is one of the success stories outlined in the 2024 Threatened Species Report, released this month, which recognises the collaborative conservation efforts by Nature Parks, researchers and the community to protect threatened flora and fauna on Phillip Island.
Other highlights include:
- The historic reintroduction of 12 Critically Endangered bush stone-curlews to Phillip Island.
- A successful 2023-24 breeding season for hooded plovers, resulting in 12 pairs successfully raising 10 fledglings. The fledging rate of 0.83 per pair was well above BirdLife Australia’s benchmark of 0.5 fledglings per pair.
- Maintaining the island’s fox-free status, while intensifying measures to control feral cats that pose a threat to native wildlife.
- The Endangered Eastern barred bandicoot continuing to thrive with the population spreading across the island.
PINP’s general manager of conservation, Jessica McKelson, said big strides had been made in the protection of threatened species on Phillip Island over the past year.
“These successes would not be possible without collaboration. We cannot do this important work alone, and the community had been central to our many achievements.”
In 2024, student interns, volunteers and community groups contributed 10,977 hours to support threatened species targets.
“Together, these results demonstrate what can be achieved when we work together for a shared thriving and biodiverse future.”
The fairy tern project involved the collaborative efforts of the Nature Parks, Birdlife Australia and Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, which were supported by a $55,000 investment from The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action’s Nature Fund.
In addition, monitoring of the fairy terns by Birdlife Australia was supported by a Victorian Government $15,000 Icon Species grant, and partnerships with the Penguin Foundation and Melbourne Water.
Fairy terns in flight