Fauna Spotters logo

Greater Crested Tern (Thalasseus bergii)

The Greater Crested Tern is a large coastal seabird that breeds in colonies on offshore islands and coral cays, and forages in shallow marine waters, estuaries and around islands. It can roost on beaches, sandbanks, reef flats, mudflats and other exposed coastal features, so works near the coast may affect feeding, roosting or breeding birds. In Australia it is least concern, but it is a colonial breeder and a migratory species listed under the EPBC Act through JAMBA, with additional protection applying to breeding places in Queensland.

Conservation status

Commonwealth, EPBC Act 1999: Listed migratory. Listed under JAMBA. Listed migratory species are a matter of national environmental significance, so a significant impact needs referral.

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Special least concern. A least concern bird covered by an international migratory bird agreement. Tampering with its breeding place needs a high risk species management program.

Western Australia, Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016: Specially protected (migratory).

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Colonial breeder. Least concern in Queensland, but it breeds in colonies, so tampering with a breeding place needs a high risk species management program rather than the low risk program.

Migration and breeding season

Greater Crested Terns are resident breeders in Australia and are also listed as migratory under the EPBC Act. Breeding timing varies between regions, with winter breeding recorded in New South Wales and nesting activity from November to December recorded in Victoria.

Breeding mode: Colonial breeder. Breeding colonies occur on offshore islands, coral cays and other coastal islands.

Clutch size: Not recorded.

Incubation period: Not recorded.

Fledging period: Not recorded. Chicks were present and being banded in December during the 2024/25 season on Phillip Island.

Breeding frequency: Not recorded.

Nest and roost sites: Breeding sites include offshore islands and coral cays. Adults and flocks also use beaches, sandbanks, reef flats, sand spits, tidal sand flats and sheltered coastal areas for resting and roosting.

Breeding timing can shift between years and regions, so site checks are needed before works, particularly near offshore islands, sand spits and other known or potential colonies.

  • Breeding in Australia, winter and spring to early summer: Winter breeding is documented in New South Wales, while nesting adults and chicks were recorded from November to December in Victoria.
  • Dependent young in breeding colonies: Dependent young are most likely where colonies are active, with 763 chicks banded in December on Phillip Island during the 2024/25 season.
  • Resident coastal presence and roosting: Greater Crested Terns occur around the Australian coastline throughout the year and use coastal waters, beaches, sandbanks, reef flats, islands and sheltered embayments.
  • Coastal foraging activity: Foraging occurs in open coastal waters, around islands and in nearshore waters, including waters less than or equal to 1 m deep.
  • Highest clearing risk: Plan clearing, construction and high disturbance works outside June to December where practicable, and avoid active colonies, roosts and breeding islands at all times.

Identification: Appearance

The Greater Crested Tern is a large, conspicuous tern usually seen over coastal water or resting in groups. Confirm records carefully where several tern species are present, especially around sandbanks, beaches and islands.

The species is a large crested tern with a strong, pointed bill and long, narrow wings. It is commonly seen flying over open water, diving for fish, or standing in groups on beaches and sandbanks.

The supplied field accounts do not give measurements or a full plumage description. Use a current field guide, photographs and an experienced observer for confirmation.

  • Look for a large tern using open coastal water rather than a small tern working the edge of a tidal flat.
  • Check the whole bird, including bill shape, size, wing pattern, head pattern and flight style.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Calls and echolocation do not apply. Identification should rely on appearance, size, behaviour and habitat.

Other terns recorded in the same broad coastal settings include Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Little Tern, Gull-billed Tern and White-winged Tern. Do not identify a bird from habitat alone.

Identification: Field signs

On a work site, the most useful signs are birds repeatedly using the same sandbank, beach, island edge, reef flat, mudflat or structure as a resting place.

Nests, eggs, chicks, droppings, whitewash, stains and odour may be difficult to separate from signs left by other colonial seabirds. Treat a concentrated group of birds, adults carrying food, defensive behaviour or repeated low flights over one area as a prompt for ecological inspection.

  • Record the number of birds, location, tide, behaviour and direction of flight.
  • Photograph birds from a distance where this can be done without flushing them.
  • Do not enter a suspected colony to search for nests unless this is authorised and necessary.

Distribution: Australian range

In Australia, the Greater Crested Tern is associated with the coastline and offshore waters. It has been recorded in all Australian states and territories listed for the species, including coastal areas of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

The species is mainly coastal but uses both saline and fresh water habitats. Records include the Great Barrier Reef, eastern Bass Strait, Port Stephens, Phillip Island, offshore Victorian islands, Broome, Roebuck Bay, Cleveland Bay and other coastal waters.

Several breeding colonies occur off Victoria, including Phillip Island, Mud Island and the barrier islands of Nooramunga Marine Park. In Queensland, islands and coral cays of the southern Great Barrier Reef support internationally important tern breeding populations.

  • New South Wales, including Port Stephens and Salamander Bay.
  • Queensland, including the Great Barrier Reef and Cleveland Bay.
  • Victoria, including Phillip Island, Mud Island and Nooramunga Marine Park.
  • Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, where suitable coastal habitat occurs.

Distribution: Overseas range and legal status

The species has a broad tropical and warm temperate coastal range beyond Australia. In Australia, it is listed as a migratory species under the EPBC Act through JAMBA and is also listed as marine.

A proposed action that is likely to have a significant impact on a listed migratory species may require referral under the EPBC Act.

  • The species is not listed as threatened under the Australian categories described here.
  • Least concern does not remove the need to protect active breeding places or avoid significant impacts to migratory habitat.

Distribution: Site records

A bird using a site may be feeding, resting, passing through or breeding nearby. A single visit cannot reliably establish the importance of a coastal feature.

Record observations across suitable tides and seasons where the project could affect beaches, islands, sandbanks, mudflats, reef flats or near-shore waters.

  • Map all observed birds and repeated flight paths.
  • Check nearby islands, spits and sandbanks, not only the construction footprint.
  • Escalate records of nesting behaviour, chicks or repeated disturbance responses.

Habitat: Coastal landforms

Look for open coastal habitat with clear resting areas and nearby feeding water. The species may use natural or modified coastal features, including beaches, rock outcrops, sand spits, tidal flats and offshore islands.

Important site features can include exposed ocean beaches, sheltered embayments, estuaries, lagoons, tidal sand flats, mudflats, sandbanks, reef flats and rocky islets.

Low islands and coral cays are particularly important where they provide undisturbed space for resting or breeding.

  • Sand spits and banks above the active waterline.
  • Island beaches and bare or lightly vegetated coastal ground.
  • Reef flats and rock platforms used during low tide.
  • Estuary mouths, lagoons, bays and near-shore marine waters.

Habitat: Freshwater and modified habitat

The species uses both fresh and saline habitats, including wetlands and lakes, although coastal waters and islands are the main settings described for this species.

Modified places such as oyster racks, wharves or other structures may be used as low-tide roosts. Their use should be recorded before removal or alteration.

  • Check wetlands connected to estuaries.
  • Inspect oyster racks, pontoons, rock walls and other elevated resting structures.
  • Look for links between a roost and nearby open water used for feeding.

Habitat: Habitat checks before works

Complete a habitat inspection before clearing, piling, dredging, reclamation, shoreline works, lighting installation or access changes. Include the area visible from the site and nearby features that birds can reach during the same tide cycle.

Pay particular attention to works that change water flow, shoreline shape, sediment movement, vegetation, access or the availability of exposed resting ground.

  • Map beaches, islands, sandbanks, tidal flats and roost structures.
  • Note tide height, water level, weather and human activity during each visit.
  • Identify whether birds are feeding, resting, displaying, carrying food or responding to disturbance.

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas

The Greater Crested Tern forages mainly in inshore marine waters and around islands. It dives for fish and may travel a substantial distance from a breeding colony to reach productive feeding areas.

Look over open water along the coast, around islands, across reef margins and within sheltered bays. The species also uses estuaries, lagoons and shallow coastal waters.

In eastern Victorian waters, it has been recorded feeding from the sea surface to about 1 m deep, often close to beaches and island shores.

  • Near-shore waters and island margins.
  • Estuary mouths and sheltered embayments.
  • Waters adjacent to beaches, sand spits, reef flats and offshore islands.

Foraging habitat: Feeding behaviour

The usual feeding action is a plunge or dive for fish. Birds may work alone or in small groups, and feeding activity can change with tide, weather, prey movement and boat traffic.

Do not assume that an apparently empty water area is unused. Birds may be feeding beyond the immediate shoreline or may move through the area during a different tide.

  • Record feeding direction, dive locations and approximate group size.
  • Look for repeated commuting flights between a colony or roost and open water.
  • Avoid driving boats, machinery or aircraft through concentrated feeding flocks.

Foraging habitat: Works risks in feeding habitat

Dredging, reclamation, piling, shoreline alteration, sediment release, pollution and lighting can reduce the quality of feeding habitat or disturb birds from productive waters.

Changes to currents and sediment movement can affect beaches, tidal flats, sand spits and nearby prey habitat.

  • Maintain effective erosion and sediment controls.
  • Prevent fuel, oil, concrete washout, waste and other pollutants entering water.
  • Plan noisy or high-traffic activities to avoid concentrated feeding birds where practicable.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places

Greater Crested Terns are colonial breeders. In Australia, breeding places include offshore islands and coral cays, with colonies also recorded on Victorian islands and at Point Grant on Phillip Island.

Search islands, cays, beaches, sandbanks and other open coastal ground that is above regular water movement and has limited access by people, dogs and predators.

The exact nest structure and vegetation preferences can vary between colonies. Suitable breeding ground may look bare or sparsely vegetated rather than like a conventional terrestrial bird nest site.

  • Offshore islands and coral cays.
  • Island beaches and low coastal ground.
  • Sand spits, banks and other exposed areas with a clear view of approaching predators or people.

Breeding habitat: Recognising breeding activity

An active breeding place may contain tightly spaced adults, eggs or chicks, adults carrying food, repeated exchanges between birds and the colony, or adults becoming agitated when people approach.

Adults may leave the ground suddenly when disturbed. A colony that appears empty after flushing may still contain eggs or chicks.

  • Observe from outside the colony and use binoculars or a telescope.
  • Look for chicks sheltering close to adults or moving between nests.
  • Treat repeated alarm calls, circling birds or coordinated departures as signs that the approach is too close.

Breeding habitat: Breeding timing and works planning

Breeding timing varies by region and colony. A winter breeding record is available for Port Stephens, while a large colony on Phillip Island had adults counted in November and chicks banded in December.

Where possible, schedule noisy, high-traffic and ground-disturbing works outside the local nesting period. Confirm timing with local monitoring data rather than relying on a single national season.

  • Obtain a pre-works breeding assessment for islands, beaches, spits and cays.
  • Keep plant, workers, vehicles, dogs and visitors away from active colonies.
  • Stop and seek ecological advice if nests, chicks or breeding behaviour are found.

Breeding habitat: Queensland breeding-place controls

In Queensland, the Greater Crested Tern is a least concern colonial breeder and a special least concern animal because it is covered by JAMBA. Tampering with its breeding place requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020.

The low risk program used for other least concern animals is not the appropriate pathway for tampering with this species' breeding place.

  • Engage the relevant Queensland regulator early in project planning.
  • Do not clear, occupy, modify or disturb a suspected breeding place until the required approval and management controls are confirmed.
  • Keep records of colony location, activity, disturbance and the controls used.

Sheltering habitat: Roost features

The species rests in groups on exposed coastal features and may use structures such as oyster racks. Roosts can be important even when no breeding is occurring at the site.

Check beaches, sandbanks, sand spits, tidal sand flats, reef flats, islands, rocky islets and low structures above the water during the relevant tide.

At Salamander Bay, groups of 5 to 40 birds commonly roosted on oyster racks at low tide.

  • Dry, open ground with good visibility.
  • Island edges and sand spits separated from people or predators.
  • Oyster racks, rock platforms and other structures exposed at low tide.

Sheltering habitat: Roost behaviour

Roosting birds often stand close together and may remain in one place while the tide changes. Birds may move between several nearby roosts as water covers feeding flats.

A roost can be used by adults from a nearby colony, non-breeding birds or birds passing through the area.

  • Record roost location, count, tide and whether birds are resting or feeding.
  • Map alternative roosts within the project area and nearby shoreline.
  • Avoid walking, driving or launching vessels through a roost.

Sheltering habitat: Protection during works

Disturbance can make adults leave eggs or chicks exposed to heat, cold and predators. Repeated disturbance may cause birds to abandon an otherwise suitable roost or colony.

There is no species-specific setback distance established for all Greater Crested Tern roosts. Set a site-specific exclusion zone with the project ecologist, based on bird behaviour, visibility, noise, access, topography and the activity proposed.

  • Use the greatest practical distance when birds show alarm or repeated flushing.
  • Keep workers, vehicles, dogs, lights and temporary facilities outside the agreed roost buffer.
  • Reassess the buffer if birds change location or repeatedly leave the roost.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony looks like

A colony is a concentrated breeding place where many pairs share limited ground. Colonies may hold a large part of the local population, and their open appearance can make them easy to damage or disturb without careful planning.

A colony may appear as a dense group of adults standing or sitting close together on an island, cay, beach, sandbank or other open coastal surface. Adults may be arriving from the sea, calling, displaying, defending small spaces or carrying food.

The species is known to form large colonies. At Point Grant on Phillip Island, 2,830 adults were counted in November during the 2024/25 season. Nest, egg and chick numbers were not recorded because of the size of the colony.

  • Dense birds on open ground, often with little obvious vegetation.
  • Regular flight paths between the colony and nearby feeding water.
  • Adults showing alarm, defensive behaviour or coordinated flushing when approached.

Colonies and breeding places: Site fidelity and colony checks

Colonial seabirds commonly return to established islands and cays, although the exact colony position may change with erosion, flooding, vegetation, predators and human disturbance. Treat a previously used site as potentially active until current checks show otherwise.

A large roost outside the nesting period may indicate a nearby breeding place or an important resting site.

  • Review local records and aerial imagery before works.
  • Inspect likely colony sites from a distance during more than one visit where practicable.
  • Map the colony, nearby roosts, access routes, flight paths and feeding water.

Colonies and breeding places: Disturbance and buffers

Flushing can expose eggs and chicks to heat, cold and predators. It also costs adults energy and may interrupt feeding or chick care.

No universal Greater Crested Tern disturbance distance is specified. Use a precautionary, site-specific buffer that prevents flushing and accounts for noise, vibration, lighting, line of sight, wind and the type of work.

  • Keep works, vehicles, vessels, workers and visitors outside the agreed buffer.
  • Use screens or alternative access routes where they reduce line-of-sight disturbance.
  • Stop work and withdraw if birds repeatedly flush, circle, call alarm or fail to return.

Colonies and breeding places: Flooding and water management

Low islands, cays, sandbanks and spits can be affected by high water, storm surge, erosion and changing sediment movement. Water management and shoreline works may alter access to roosts, colony ground and feeding flats.

Avoid directing concentrated flows, spoil, sediment or contaminated water towards a colony or roost. Plan drainage, dewatering and shoreline changes with tides, storms and likely inundation in mind.

  • Keep floodwater, runoff and pumped water away from active colonies.
  • Do not place spoil, equipment or temporary access tracks on colony or roost ground.
  • Monitor colony and roost locations after major storms, flooding or shoreline changes.

Migration and seasonal presence: Seasonal presence

The Greater Crested Tern is described as a resident breeder in Australia, but it is also listed as a migratory species under JAMBA. In practice, local birds may remain year round while other birds move between colonies, feeding areas and coastal regions.

Reliable national arrival, departure and passage months are not established for field planning. Breeding timing differs between locations, with winter breeding recorded at Port Stephens and adults and chicks recorded in November and December at Phillip Island.

Do not assume that a site is clear of birds outside one expected breeding season. Check local records and current field conditions.

  • Plan surveys across relevant tides and more than one season where the project could affect coastal habitat.
  • Treat resident birds, passage birds and breeding birds as potentially present.
  • Record dates, numbers, behaviour and whether birds are feeding, roosting or breeding.

Migration and seasonal presence: Movement around projects

Birds may travel between offshore colonies, beaches, sandbanks, reef flats and near-shore feeding areas. Some seabirds travel hundreds of kilometres from breeding colonies to find food.

A project can therefore affect birds even when no colony is inside the construction footprint.

  • Map flight paths between colonies, roosts and feeding water.
  • Consider vessel traffic, bridge structures, cables, turbines, lighting and tall plant in movement assessments.
  • Maintain open access to important feeding and resting areas where practicable.

Migration and seasonal presence: Important habitat and approvals

Important habitat in Australia includes breeding islands and cays, regularly used roosts, near-shore marine feeding waters, estuaries, beaches, sandbanks, tidal flats and island shorelines.

Listed migratory species are a matter of national environmental significance. Actions likely to have a significant impact may require EPBC Act referral.

  • Seek an EPBC Act assessment where habitat loss, displacement, collision, lighting or repeated disturbance may be significant.
  • In Queensland, confirm the high risk species management program pathway where a breeding place may be tampered with.
  • Include marine, intertidal and island habitat in project impact assessments.

Threats: Disturbance and direct harm

Most construction risks relate to disturbance, loss of coastal habitat, changes to water and sediment movement, pollution and interactions with structures. Controls should protect feeding areas as well as active colonies and roosts.

People, vehicles, dogs, vessels, machinery, loud noise, vibration and artificial light can disrupt feeding, resting and breeding. Approaching a colony too closely may flush adults and leave eggs or chicks exposed.

Use clear exclusion zones, controlled access, spotter observations and stop-work triggers where birds are present.

  • Keep workers and machinery away from active colonies and roosts.
  • Limit night lighting and direct lights away from water, beaches and islands.
  • Avoid repeated approaches, photography or inspections that cause birds to flush.

Threats: Habitat loss and coastal change

Reclamation, clearing, shoreline hardening, erosion, shading and altered water flow can remove or reduce feeding, roosting and breeding habitat. Bridge pylons, dredging and other works may change currents and sediment movement.

Retain beaches, sandbanks, tidal flats, reef flats, islands and nearby feeding waters where practicable.

  • Avoid placing compounds, spoil, access tracks or temporary facilities on coastal bird habitat.
  • Assess erosion, inundation and shoreline change before works begin.
  • Monitor habitat and bird use after construction.

Threats: Pollution, pests and invasive species

Sediment, fuel, oil, waste, concrete washout and other pollutants can degrade marine feeding habitat. Food waste may attract pests, while feral cats, foxes and other introduced animals can take eggs and chicks.

Invasive plants can alter open nesting ground, and marine pests may be transported on vessels or equipment.

  • Use effective erosion, sediment, spill, waste and biosecurity controls.
  • Keep food and waste secured and remove it from coastal work areas.
  • Inspect and clean vessels, plant and equipment before moving between sites.

Threats: Climate, weather and marine debris

Cyclones, storms, erosion, sea-level rise, flooding and marine heatwaves can affect low-lying colonies and the availability of fish. Marine debris, fishing line, hooks and plastics can injure or kill seabirds through entanglement or ingestion.

Include storm response, debris removal and post-event colony checks in environmental management planning.

  • Secure materials before strong weather and remove loose debris promptly.
  • Report entangled or injured birds to the project ecologist or wildlife authority.
  • Recheck low islands, cays, beaches and sandbanks after major storms or flooding.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Greater Crested Terns are conspicuous, but their use of a site can change with tide, weather, food and breeding activity. Survey both roosting and feeding areas, and treat islands, sand spits, beaches and other low, open coastal sites as potential breeding or roosting habitat.

Review recent records, aerial imagery, shoreline change, tidal flats, islands, sandbanks, beaches, estuaries and nearby marine waters before planning works.

Check whether the site is near a known or reported colony, breeding island, roost, feeding area or movement corridor. Contact the relevant state wildlife agency, local land manager and regional bird observers where local information is limited.

Typical habitat: Coastal waters, estuaries, wetlands, lakes, lagoons, mudflats, tidal sand flats, sand spits, beaches, reef flats and offshore islands.

Known Australian breeding examples: Offshore islands and colonies off Victoria, including Phillip Island, Mud Island and the barrier islands of Nooramunga Marine Park, and islands and coral cays of the Great Barrier Reef.

  • Map all potential breeding, roosting, loafing and feeding areas.
  • Review the timing of previous records and any history of disturbance, flooding, erosion or habitat change.
  • Check the EPBC Act protected matters search and determine whether the action could have a significant impact on a listed migratory species.

Survey methodology: 2. Field detection and timing

Use an experienced ornithologist or ecologist to inspect the site from a quiet observation point. Scan open water, beaches, sandbanks, reef flats, islands, oyster racks, rocky islets and sheltered embayments with binoculars and a telescope where needed.

Complete high tide observations for roosting birds and low tide observations for feeding birds. Conduct each survey as close as practicable to the target tide and within two hours either side of high tide or low tide.

Repeat surveys across suitable conditions. Include the local breeding period, because a site can appear unused outside the nesting season. A July or August survey may be needed in southern Western Australian project assessments, and local breeding timing must be confirmed for the project area.

Recorded survey periods: December 2019 to February 2020 surveys in Broome and monthly surveys between December 2019 and February 2020 for one Queensland project.

Observed breeding activity: A large colony was counted in November on Phillip Island, with chicks banded in December during the 2024 to 2025 season.

  • Avoid heavy rain, strong wind, poor visibility and unsafe sea conditions.
  • Use quiet, stationary observations before approaching any bird concentration.
  • Survey at different stages of the tide where the project could affect intertidal habitat or tidal roosts.
  • Add night observations only where lighting or nocturnal disturbance is part of the risk assessment.

Survey methodology: 3. Signs of use and breeding

Record adults sitting closely together, repeated carrying of food, courtship, alarm calls, defensive behaviour, chicks, eggs, down, nest scrapes, concentrated droppings and birds repeatedly returning to one location.

An active colony may cover an open island, sand spit, beach or other low site. Birds may be densely grouped and may flush together when approached. Do not enter a suspected colony to confirm nests.

A roost is not necessarily a breeding place. Treat a large or repeatedly used roost as sensitive until breeding use has been excluded by an appropriately timed assessment.

Examples of recorded abundance: Local counts include 2,830 adults at Phillip Island, 110 birds at one Broome site and flocks of 5 to 40 birds roosting on oyster racks at low tide.

  • Map the colony or roost boundary with GPS from outside the bird concentration.
  • Record whether birds are feeding, roosting, displaying, incubating, brooding, carrying food, defending a location or tending chicks.
  • Record flushing distance, flight direction, time taken to settle and any predators or people causing disturbance.
  • Photograph the site from a distance, without approaching nests or chicks.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey records

Record the date, start and finish time, tide stage, weather, visibility, observer names, survey route, observation points and survey effort.

Record every Greater Crested Tern observation, including number, age class where clear, behaviour, flight direction, habitat, GPS location and distance from the proposed works.

Record other colonial waterbirds, predators, dogs, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, lights, noise and any flushing response. Retain maps, photographs and raw counts with the project environmental records.

  • Separate counts of feeding, roosting and breeding birds where possible.
  • Record the maximum count and avoid adding counts from the same flock if it moves between observation points.
  • Report any suspected active breeding place before works proceed.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and legal checks

Plan works around the birds, not around the clearing program alone. A colony, breeding island or regularly used roost can support a substantial part of the local population and needs a site specific protection plan.

Confirm the species name used in approvals. Greater Crested Tern is also recorded as Crested Tern, Thalasseus bergii.

Before works, assess whether the action is likely to have a significant impact on the species as an EPBC Act listed migratory species under JAMBA. Refer the action if required, and follow any EPBC approval conditions.

In Queensland, obtain the required authority before tampering with a breeding place. A least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program. Greater Crested Tern is also a special least concern animal in Queensland because it is covered by JAMBA.

Obtain any required state or territory wildlife permits, scientific licences, animal handling authorities, protected area approvals and land manager permissions. Confirm requirements with the relevant agency before mobilisation.

Australian listing context: The species is not listed as endangered, vulnerable or near threatened in Australia, but it is a listed migratory species under the EPBC Act through JAMBA.

  • Keep the EPBC assessment, approval or referral decision and all state approvals on site.
  • Check conditions for breeding places, disturbance, lighting, water quality, habitat loss and monitoring.
  • Do not rely on least concern status as permission to disturb a colony or breeding place.
  • Include the approval conditions in the construction environmental management plan.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance, timing and buffers

Keep construction, clearing, vehicle movements, vessel movements, lighting, piling, drilling, blasting, dredging and noisy work away from active colonies and breeding places wherever practicable.

Schedule works outside the nesting period for the local population. Do not assume that a single national nesting period applies. Winter breeding is reported in New South Wales, and nesting and chick activity were recorded in November and December on Phillip Island.

Have a qualified ecologist set a no-go area and a disturbance buffer for the site. There is no universal buffer that suits every colony. Set it from observed behaviour, visibility, terrain, work type, noise, lighting, access and the likelihood of birds flushing.

Increase the buffer or stop work if adults repeatedly leave nests, chicks are exposed, birds circle or alarm, or the colony relocates.

  • Fence and sign the approved exclusion area before plant arrives.
  • Keep workers, vehicles, dogs, vessels and visitors outside the exclusion area.
  • Keep works outside the nesting period where practicable.
  • Use screening, quiet plant, directional lighting and staged work where avoidance cannot be complete.
  • Protect nearby feeding waters, tidal flats and roosts as well as the colony itself.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance inspection

Complete a final inspection immediately before disturbance, including all islands, beaches, sand spits, tidal flats, rock platforms, culverts, bridges and other places that could be used by colonial birds.

Inspect from a distance and at a suitable tide. A pre-clearance inspection is not a reason to walk through a colony. If birds are present in breeding behaviour, stop and obtain ecological and regulatory advice.

Confirm the exclusion area on the ground and brief the spotter catcher, supervisor, operators, vessel crew, security staff and visitors.

  • Check for adults, eggs, chicks, nest scrapes, food carrying, defensive adults and concentrated droppings.
  • Check for roosting birds that could be affected by access, lighting, noise or line of sight.
  • Mark safe access routes and observation points.
  • Record the inspection, including negative results, with photographs and GPS data.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Crew induction and contingency planning

Explain that colonial birds can flush as a group and may not return if disturbance is repeated. Adults leaving nests can expose eggs and chicks to heat, cold and predators.

Give the crew a simple stop-work trigger and display the fauna contact list at the site office and in all relevant vehicles.

Confirm who can handle wildlife, who can approve a change to the exclusion area and who must contact the regulator or wildlife carer.

  • Tell workers never to chase, catch, feed or touch a tern.
  • Require all sightings of colonies, chicks, eggs, injured birds and unusual behaviour to be reported immediately.
  • Keep a wildlife rescue kit, clean container and contact details ready, without allowing untrained staff to handle birds.
  • Brief crews on spill response, waste control, predator attraction, biosecurity and lighting controls.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Staged work and active supervision

Use a stop and reassess approach whenever birds are found. The fauna spotter catcher must have clear authority to pause or change the sequence of work without waiting for normal production approval.

Clear in small, defined stages. Complete a fauna inspection before each stage and maintain a continuous watching presence while work is occurring near coastal, wetland or island habitat.

Start with the least disturbing activity and monitor the birds before introducing louder plant, night lighting, vessel movements or work closer to a roost.

Keep plant, spoil, materials, waste and access tracks outside mapped breeding, roosting and feeding areas.

  • Use one controlled access route.
  • Keep plant speeds low near bird habitat.
  • Stop work when visibility is poor enough to prevent effective fauna observation.
  • Recheck the colony after breaks, shift changes, tide changes and any change in plant or work method.
  • Prevent food waste and keep predators and pests away from the work area.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop-work response

Stop work immediately if an active breeding place, colony, egg, chick, injured bird or concentrated roost is found in or near the impact area.

Withdraw people and plant to the agreed safe location. Do not enter the colony, move nests, move eggs or herd birds away from the work area.

Have the project ecologist reassess the site and confirm whether the exclusion area, method, timing or approvals must change.

  • Record the location, number of birds, behaviour and activity that caused the response.
  • Expand the exclusion area if birds flush or show repeated alarm.
  • Contact the relevant regulator or land manager if the activity could constitute tampering with a breeding place or breach an approval.
  • Do not restart until the fauna spotter catcher and authorised ecologist give written or recorded approval under the project procedure.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Wildlife handling and injured birds

Only authorised and trained people may capture or handle a Greater Crested Tern. Handling should be limited to what is necessary to prevent immediate harm or to transfer the bird to an approved wildlife carer or veterinarian.

Do not attempt to treat an injured bird on site. Keep people, dogs and vehicles away and reduce noise and light while advice is obtained.

  • Call the nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or state wildlife authority.
  • Use a clean, secure, ventilated container only when directed by an authorised handler.
  • Keep the bird cool, quiet and shaded, and do not give food or water unless directed by a qualified carer.
  • Record the bird's location, condition, photographs, time, handler, advice received and destination.
  • Report collision, entanglement, poisoning, oiling or other suspected project impacts through the project incident system.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Field records and communication

Keep a daily fauna log for all work near bird habitat. Record both detections and the absence of birds when the inspection was completed adequately.

Share changes in colony location, roost use, tide conditions and disturbance response at each pre-start meeting.

  • Record date, time, tide, weather, observers, work activity and machinery in use.
  • Record bird numbers, behaviour, location, flight direction, flushing and return time where known.
  • Map all stop-work events, exclusion areas, injuries, deaths, releases and referrals.
  • Photograph signs, barriers and habitat from outside sensitive areas.
  • Notify the site supervisor, project ecologist and environmental manager before changing the approved method.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-work inspection

A site is not cleared from risk when the last machine leaves. Confirm that birds have not been trapped, displaced or injured, and retain enough information to improve controls for the next stage or project.

Inspect the work area and adjacent colony, roost and feeding habitat after each disturbance stage and again at the end of the shift where work occurred nearby.

Check for stranded, trapped, injured or dead birds, damaged nests, exposed eggs, discarded fishing line, spills, loose wire, waste and new access points.

  • Search from outside the exclusion area before entering any disturbed section.
  • Inspect culverts, bridges, temporary structures, fencing, trenches, pits, vessels and stockpiles for trapped fauna.
  • Remove hazards only when this can be done without entering or disturbing an active colony.
  • Escalate any injured or dead bird through the wildlife and incident pathway.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance

Prepare a concise fauna report for each work stage. Include survey effort, detections, incidents, controls, stop-work events, approvals and corrective actions.

Meet all reporting requirements under the EPBC approval, Queensland SMP, state permit, environmental management plan and land manager conditions.

  • Submit regulator notifications within the required timeframe for incidents or unauthorised impacts.
  • Keep raw data, GPS tracks, photographs, field sheets, observer details and wildlife transfer records.
  • Report changes in colony size, location, breeding activity or roost use to the project ecologist and relevant land manager.
  • Document why work resumed and which controls were changed after an incident.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and relocated animals

Monitor any colony, roost or feeding area affected by works at a frequency set by the ecologist and approval conditions. Use the same observation points and methods where practical so results can be compared.

Do not relocate a Greater Crested Tern, nest, egg or chick unless the action is authorised and directed by the relevant wildlife authority or an appropriately permitted wildlife professional. Terns may abandon a breeding place after repeated disturbance, so relocation is not a routine mitigation measure.

  • Track bird presence, abundance, breeding behaviour, chick survival indicators, roost use and flushing response.
  • Check whether birds return after work stops and whether they shift into unsafe areas.
  • Record all authorised transfers, release locations, outcomes and follow-up checks.
  • Continue monitoring after temporary works are removed where habitat or access has changed.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every colony disturbance, collision, injury, death, lighting complaint, spill and unauthorised entry before the next work stage.

Use the review to change the work sequence, buffer, access route, lighting, crew briefing or supervision level.

  • Interview the spotter catcher, operators and supervisor while events are fresh.
  • Compare the event with the approved risk assessment and permit conditions.
  • Close corrective actions before similar work resumes.
  • Update maps and induction material when a new roost or breeding place is identified.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore natural habitat

Restore the features that Greater Crested Terns use for feeding, resting and breeding. Prioritise natural coastal and island habitat, because this species uses open beaches, sandbanks, reef flats, estuaries, nearshore waters and offshore islands rather than nest boxes.

Reinstate beaches, sand spits, tidal flats, reef flats, open shoreline and shallow nearshore feeding habitat where these have been disturbed.

Match final levels, drainage, substrate, tidal connection and shoreline form to the approved rehabilitation design. Prevent erosion, scouring and unintended inundation around low islands and coastal breeding areas.

Remove temporary causeways, hardstands, fencing and stockpiles that block access to feeding or roosting habitat, unless they are required to protect an active colony.

  • Use clean, suitable substrate and keep the restored surface free of rubbish, wire and entanglement hazards.
  • Maintain open sight lines around approved roost and breeding areas.
  • Protect adjacent marine waters from sediment, concrete washout, fuel, chemicals and other pollutants.
  • Use erosion and sediment controls until the site is stable.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Water, tides and vegetation

Maintain the hydrology and tidal exchange that support intertidal feeding areas, estuaries, lagoons and wetlands. Have a coastal or wetland specialist assess changes to water velocity, erosion, inundation, salinity and sediment movement.

Control weeds and invasive plants that reduce open nesting or roosting habitat. Do not revegetate a tern breeding or roosting surface with dense vegetation unless the ecological design specifically requires it.

  • Inspect culverts, drains, bridges and crossings for blocked flows and bird entrapment hazards.
  • Monitor restored water levels and tidal connections after rainfall, flooding and major storm events.
  • Remove invasive weeds using methods that avoid breeding and roosting periods and prevent contamination of water.
  • Keep wildlife and domestic animal access controlled where predators or repeated disturbance threaten the site.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Nest sites and artificial structures

Greater Crested Terns breed in open colonies on offshore islands, low islands and coral cays. Nest boxes and bat boxes are not suitable replacement structures for this species.

Use an artificial nest site, roost structure or other replacement feature only where a tern specialist, regulator and land manager have approved the design. The design must reproduce suitable open substrate, space, drainage, predator protection and access, and must not attract birds into an unsafe work area.

Do not move an active colony or install a structure beside an active colony without specific approval and a documented ecological plan.

  • Prefer protection and restoration of natural islands, beaches, sandbanks and open colony surfaces.
  • Remove or redesign structures that create collision, entanglement, trapping or lighting risks.
  • Inspect any approved artificial site before and during the breeding season.
  • Record whether birds use the structure for roosting, breeding or neither, and review it with the project ecologist.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Lighting, access and long-term care

Design permanent and temporary lighting to avoid shining onto colonies, roosts, beaches, islands and nearshore waters. Use the National Light Pollution Guidelines for Wildlife where they apply to the project.

Keep public access, vehicles, dogs, vessels and maintenance activities away from active colonies and regularly used roosts. Retain signs and barriers where monitoring shows they are needed.

  • Use the lowest practical light levels and shield, aim and control lights so light does not spill into bird habitat.
  • Avoid unnecessary night work near breeding or roosting sites.
  • Inspect lighting, fencing, signs, shoreline condition, weeds, water quality and predator activity during routine maintenance.
  • Monitor restored habitat through at least the relevant breeding and non-breeding periods, with the duration set by approval conditions and ecological risk.
  • Review the rehabilitation plan if birds do not return, breeding fails, or birds shift into a hazardous area.

Sources