The most important river in Lithuania, the Nemunas, was as soon as the right habitat for the Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) and the Widespread Tern (Sterna hirundo) with its plentiful islands and sandy shores. Remarkably, as much as 80% of Lithuania’s Little Tern inhabitants breeds on the larger islands of the river. Correctly managing these habitats, is important for the survival of each species.
4 Particular Protected Areas have been designated alongside the river to guard these chattering seabirds. However long-term monitoring information from 2009 to 2019 revealed that every one 4 websites have been greater than unfavourable for breeding. The primary drawback was the dearth of appropriate nesting websites for the terns. The excavation of the shallow river zones throughout upkeep of the waterway, along with excessive water ranges through the tern’s breeding season in recent times, had been the principle contributing elements.
Little Tern, copyright Glyn Sellors, from the surfbirds galleries
Fortunately, our Associate on the bottom, The Lithuanian Ornithological Society (LOD), is actively concerned in an EU LIFE challenge that brings collectively key stakeholders to enhance the scenario for our beloved terns. With LOD’s steerage and experience, the Lithuanian Inland Waterways Authority created 17 new sandy and gravel islands and seashores on the Nemunas river throughout the designated SPAs and 5 extra in its estuary. Some islands had been elevated to guarantee that the terns can nonetheless discover appropriate nesting areas in years of extraordinarily excessive water ranges. This effort was complemented with the managed and tailored upkeep of the water transport hall. Present islands had been additionally bolstered up.
Latest monitoring information signifies a major improve within the variety of nesting websites of the Little and Widespread Terns within the challenge space. Different shore birds, such because the Eurasian Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) categorized as Close to Threatened on the IUCN Pink Checklist, have additionally reaped the advantages from this initiative. Excitingly, the Lithuanian Inland Waterways Authority has promised to proceed doing good for birds past the scope of the challenge and can create new sandy islands in different sections of the Nemunas river and the Curonian Lagoon sooner or later.
We hope that this wonderful collaboration between the nationwide water authorities and the native nature conservation organisation will encourage others and present that by working collectively, we will make our rivers thrive once more.
