Common and Little terns’ monitoring in two Special Protected Areas of Nemunas river
01-07-2019
Project’s Associated Partner Nemuno kilpos Regional Park Administration started monitoring activities of the Common and Little terns’ breeding success and breeding habitats in two Special Protected Areas (SPAs) of Nemunas river: a riverbed section of Nemunas river between Prienai and Legveniskes settlement and a riverbed section of Nemunas river between Pelesiskes and Balbieriskes settlements. In the frame of the Project it’s planned to restore the breeding habitats as most of the suitable terns’ breeding sites were lost due the overgrow of the islands with vegetation. During the first monitoring at the riverbed section of Nemunas river between Prienai and Legveniskes settlement only 11 pairs of Little terns and 23 pairs of Common terns were found at the site and it is less than 1/3 of the previous birds’ population, which was observed before the degradation of the habitats. Terns prefer sandy bare islands or beaches, however the clutches are often damaged by high water. The results of monitoring showed, that practical conservation actions should start as early as possible, as in both territories the terns‘populations are on the edge of extinction.
Monitoring. Photo by Renatas Jakaitis
An island overgrown with high vegetation. Photo by Renatas Jakaitis
Information signs. Photo by Žydrūnas Sinkevičius
Special protective shelters at the breeding habitats. Photo by Žydrūnas Sinkevičius
Nemunas kilpos Regional Park administration information https://nemunokilpos.lt/
