The annual Little Tern breeding season at Karagi Point, The Entrance North concluded in February, with Central Coast Council delighted to report another record-breaking outcome!

Little Terns migrate from South-east Asia to Australia each year to breed and have historically chosen to nest at The Entrance on the Central Coast.

Protected under both State and federal threatened species legislation, Little Terns are sensitive to a wide range of threats, including native and introduced predators, crushing and disturbance from vehicles, humans and domestic dogs, inundation of nesting sites and adverse weather conditions.

Council’s Director Environment and Planning, Jamie Loader said that with support from the community, Council worked hard to create the right environment for nesting and ongoing breeding success and put in place a range of measures to protect the colony.

“Over the last five years, Council has carried out best practice management to protect the Little Tern breeding colony, which has included fencing and signage installation, mitigating the threat of human disturbance and nest site inundation, nest monitoring, fox and avian predator control, environmental education / community engagement and site closures during large events.

“It is so satisfying to see that these actions have once again resulted in record-breaking breeding success with an incredible 228 fledglings recorded – the most ever recorded along the NSW coast and nearly half of the total NSW fledgling count last season,” Mr Loader said.

Monitoring over the last five years, has now shown Karagi Point to be the most important nest site in the state and is significantly contributing to the long-term survival of the species.

In consultation with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Council staff were well prepared ahead of the breeding season – a key to the success achieved.

Mr Loader said despite the success seen, a range of unauthorised activities were still observed at the nest site.

“This included large amounts of rubbish being left on site, discarded fishing line, people entering the fenced nesting area, unnecessary noise, flying of drones over the area and the presence of dogs – which are actually prohibited at Karagi Point.  

“We will continue to work with our partners to look at what more we can do for the next season.”

NPWS Threatened Species Project Officer, Katherine Howard, said as most beach-nesting birds are threatened and declining, it is very encouraging to see the Little Tern starting to recover in NSW.

“We could not be happier with the results at Karagi Point this past season, which was the most successful breeding season ever recorded in NSW.

“These incredible numbers would not be possible without the unwavering dedication of Central Coast Council, with support from the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program, NPWS and the Conservation Programs, Heritage and Regulations team, and most importantly, from the local community and beach users,” Ms Howard said.

Central Coast Council Mayor, Lawrie McKinna said we are very fortunate to have the Little Tern, a species at risk of extinction in NSW, chose to nest on our coastal beach at Karagi Point, The Entrance North.

“Beach-nesting birds like the Little Tern lay eggs directly on the sand, and eggs and chicks are so well-camouflaged they are almost invisible. So, this record-breaking breeding success is testament to the significant work Council and the NSW government agencies have done,” Mayor McKinna said.

“I want to thank the community for being respectful of the nesting site. It is my hope that together we can protect this endangered species long-term.”

To find out what people can do to help beach nesting birds like the Little Tern visit:

Find out more on the Little Terns and how to help protect them by visiting  centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/littleterns 

This project is also supported in part by the NSW Government’s Saving our Species program.

Image credit:  Andrew Robinson