Sandwich Tern

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Sandwich Tern, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern	Amber listed
Species of European Conservation Concern	Least Concern
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)	Least Concern
Schedule 1 license required (to disturb)	No
Birds Directive Annex 1	Yes
Listed on the Annexes of	WBD(I), Bern(III), Bonn(II*), AEWA

The Sandwich Tern population has remained relatively stable over the period covered by seabird censuses, with a moderate increase of 33% between 1969–70 and 1985–88 being followed by a shallow decrease of 15% up to the Seabird 2000 Census (1998–2002) (Ratcliffe et al. 2000). Results are not yet available from the most recent Census (Seabirds Count 2015–2021), but annual monitoring by the Seabird Monitoring Programme suggests that the relative stability of the population has continued to at least 2019 (JNCC 2022).

Sandwich Terns breed in a relatively small number of large colonies scattered around the coasts of Britain and Ireland. Sandwich Tern is a regular wintering species, albeit it in very small numbers, along the North Sea coast southwards from the Firth of Forth and more regularly along the English south coast and around the Channel Islands. In Ireland records were clustered around Strangford Lough in the northeast and inner Galway Bay in the west.

Colonies can move annually in response to changing conditions. Consequently, the distribution change map is marked by a mix of gains and losses, although overall a 22% range contraction is apparent since the 1968–72 Breeding Atlas.

Sandwich Terns are mostly summer visitors and passage migrants in spring and autumn, although small numbers winter on the south coast.

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report

Maximum Age from Ringing	30 years 9 months 14 days (set in 1998)
Typical Lifespan	12 years with breeding typically at 3 year
Adult Survival	0.898±0.029
Juvenile Survival	0.358 (in first year)

Wing Length	Adults	305.8±6.9 | Range 295–316mm, N=30
	Juveniles	298.1±6.9 | Range 285-305mm, N=24

Body Weight	Adults	239±14.5 | Range 214–261g, N=32
	Juveniles	226±17.7 | Range 198–253g, N=46

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

Ring size	D2
Field Codes	2-letter: TE | 5-letter code: SANTE | Euring: 6110

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Causes of change

Although the population has remained relatively stable, annual productivity is highly variable (JNCC 2022) and predation by foxes may be a major driver affecting productivity and causing abandonment of some colonies (Ratcliffe et al. 2000)