Lough Neagh has nationally and internationally important numbers of breeding Common Tern (Sterna Hirundo) and Black-headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus). Both species are feature species of the Lough’s ASSI and SPA designations.
The Lough Neagh Partnership Shoreline and Islands team monitor numbers of breeding on 15 small island sites during the summer months. Surveys are carried out in May and June with a minimum of 3 visits to each island site during this period.
We carry out what are known as “flush counts”. This survey involves steering a small boat close to the survey island, the team generates noise to flush the birds off their nests. An estimate of numbers is taken in the field, and pictures are taken for comparison later. This method of survey is rapid, which creates brief disturbance to the birds and the results give us a broad guide to colony size.
When we looked at the highest counts from all 15 of our sites from 2021-2025 it was clear that there has been a decline in Black-headed Gulls. There are several reasons that could have impacted this decline- the unavailability of suitable nesting habitat on island sites and the outbreak of HPAI (avian influenza) in 2023.
The Shoreline and Island team will continue to monitor the breeding birds on the Lough’s island sites during the summer months. We will continue to carry out habitat management of a number of island sites during the winter months.
