Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287:reg:3:p160
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 160/276)
Character Range: 603234–606102

Distribution
A wide distribution over tropical and subtropical seas, breeding on numerous islands (including islands of the Great Barrier Reef) in north-west Australia and the south-west Pacific (including the Lord Howe and Norfolk Island Groups). Preliminary findings from tracking of sooty terns on Phillip Island indicate that during the breeding season the species forages within approximately 600 km of Phillip Island (Gorta unpublished data 2023). In the non-breeding season, which began as early as mid‑January 2023 in the 2022–23 season, sooty terns largely migrated into the South and West Pacific (Gorta unpublished data 2023).
Known on Norfolk Island as the whale bird, this is an abundant summer breeding species that nests on Phillip and Nepean Islands and on the north coast of the main island (Schodde et al. 1983). There were an estimated 80,000 to 140,000 birds breeding in the Norfolk Island Group (Blakers et al. 1984) including about 20,000 on Phillip Island and several hundred on Nepean Island (Fullagar 1978). In 2006 the population here was estimated to be between 1000–10,000 pairs (Priddel et al. 2010). Breeding was significantly reduced on Phillip Island by 2016 (fewer than 1,000 pairs) and only recommenced in larger numbers following purple swamphen control in 2019 (Carlile & O'Dwyer 2023). Preliminary results from surveys during the 2022–23 breeding season indicate the current breeding population on Phillip Island numbers from 6,000-8,000 pairs (Gorta unpublished data 2023).
In 1908, 10,000 to 15,000 eggs were harvested from Nepean Island several times a week (Schodde et al. 1983). This species is subject to a limited annual open season for the harvesting of eggs.

Ecology
Present around Norfolk Island from August, this species is a spring/summer breeder with most pairs starting to nest in November, but the laying season is prolonged by the harvesting of eggs by islanders. A single egg is laid, which can be replaced after roughly 2 weeks. Incubation lasts around 28 days and hatching to fledging spans approximately 50 days. Nest is a shallow scrape in sand or soft soil. Will nest in open areas, but often partially or completely underneath shrubby vegetation on Phillip Island.
Forages nocturnally and diurnally by swooping to snatch pelagic squid, crustaceans and fish at the ocean surface.

Habitat
Marine, pelagic in tropical and subtropical waters, breeding on islands.

Threats
The main threat to the sooty tern is the reduction in the quality of foraging areas through climate related shifts in oceanic resources. Additional threats include predation by rats and cats on Norfolk Island and predation of nests by swamphens on Phillip Island. Loss of habitat to significant revegetation can limit areas of breeding. Offshore windfarms along the east coast of Australia may represent an emerging threat due to turbine