Reintroduction of common terns in Switzerland

What is this project about?

What clearly exceeds the pain threshold for our ears is just right for the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo). The calls of conspecifics give Common Terns the impression of security they have within a colony and therefore have a certain appeal.

Many valuable breeding sites for the common tern have been lost due to the straightening and damming of rivers. Undisturbed gravel islands, where it was originally a common breeding bird on larger watercourses for a long time, are now rarely found for colony breeders. However, a large breeding potential has been identified on gravel-covered flat roofs.

An active breeding colony is simulated with the help of dummies and loud colony calls. This background noise attracts common terns. Following a pilot project by Orniplan AG on Lake Zurich, in which a stable breeding colony of 60 breeding pairs was successfully established, the common tern is to be reintroduced to other suitable locations in Switzerland.

What does OekoFor do?

We have been providing our ecoPi recorders since 2021.

The classic ecoPi was modified and the ecoPi:Boom was developed for the special requirements of this project, namely the acoustic simulation of an active breeding colony. The ecoPi:Boom is equipped with a loudspeaker and has been continuously optimized over the years.

In the latest version of the ecoPi:Boom, a camera was installed in addition to a microphone. This means that, in addition to the loudspeaker attraction function, acoustic and visual brood monitoring is now also possible, whereby the attraction and recording times are freely programmable.

In addition, our dashboard in the ecoPi LiveApp gives the Orniplan team direct access to the live data so that they can follow the breeding activity acoustically and visually in real time.

Find out more about the ecoPi-System and the ecoPi LiveApp ↗

Further links

• More information about this project can be found in the magazine “Milan” from BirdLife Aargau in the article “Hope for a lost bird” on page 16 ↗ (only available in German language)

• Observe the birds of the common tern breeding colony on Lake Zurich!
  Along with the common terns, black-headed gulls also breed here.
  Go to the webcam on Lake Zurich ↗

News

• April 2024

  Three ecoPi recorders were installed. In addition to a loudspeaker and a microphone, two of the devices now also have a camera.

Client & Partner

The client for this project is Orniplan AG. The Orniplan team is managing the project and installing the ecoPis on site.