Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775:reg:18:p100
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00775
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 18 (pt 100/152)
Character Range: 315384–318526

Estimates and Trends
The global population is estimated to number 190,000–410,000 individuals (Delany and Scott 2006). The overall population trend is decreasing, although some populations have unknown or increasing trends (Delany and Scott 2006). Australian population estimates and trends are unknown.

Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds 135

 Species profiles

 Conservation Concerns and Actions
The species is listed threatened in Victoria and New South Wales. Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation through the development of foreshore poses a significant threat to the Little Tern, with relative sea level rises predicted due to climate change also threatening beach nesting habitats. Human disturbance at colonies will result in colony abandonment and catastrophic breeding failure. There is also potentially a risk from the spread of the invasive weed Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias); however, this does not seem to be significant at present. The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) acts as the main cause of breeding failure in New South Wales (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service 2003). In some parts of the range, birds are also vulnerable to nest predation by Silver Gulls (Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae); this is typically following human disturbance that facilitates Sliver Gull attacks.

 Recommended Management Actions
         Support recovery actions in Victoria and New South Wales

         Quantify the breeding population in Australia

         Regularly monitor breeding populations at index locations

         Determine non-breeding areas and migration routes

         Quantify and manage the potential impacts of human disturbance

      Monitor and manage, if required, the impact of Silver Gulls and other species (e.g. Corvids) on breeding colonies

         Trail artificial nesting sites and social attraction techniques to establish new colonies

136 Wildlife Conservation Plan for Seabirds
Species profiles

          Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)

Life History and Distribution
The Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) and Australian Gull-billed Tern (G. macrotarsa) (del Hoyo and Collar 2014) were previously placed in the genus Sterna and lumped as S. nilotica following Sibley and Monroe (1990, 1993). Only the Gull-billed Tern is listed under the EPBC Act as a listed migratory and marine species. The Gull-billed Tern is a large gull-like tern with a diagnostic short thick gull-like bill, heavy rounded head and short thick neck. The species breeds at scattered sites in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. It breeds in a variety of locations with bare or sparsely vegetated islands, banks, flats, or spits of dry mud and sand including barrier beaches (shoals), dunes, saltmarshes, saltpans, freshwater lagoons, estuaries, deltas, inland lakes, rivers, marshes and swamps (del Hoyo et al. 1996, Higgins and Davies 1996, Snow and Perrins 1998). During this season, it may also feed on emerging insects over lakes, agricultural fields, grasslands and even over semi-desert regions (del Hoyo et al. 1996). On passage