Did you know that Kilcoole beach is home to a protected species? Not only that but they are one of Ireland’s rarest seabirds!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Terns are the rarest of Ireland’s five breeding tern species, with a population that fluctuates between 200-300 pairs from year to year. The colony at Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow is currently the largest in the country where 50-100 pairs regularly breed.

 

Little Terns were first recorded breeding at Kilcoole in 1853. The tern colony has been protected by wardens since 1985 under a joint intiative run by BirdWatch Ireland & National Parks & Wildlife Service. As a result of this work, the number of breeding birds has risen dramatically from as low as 14 pairs in 1985 to 106 pairs in 2006.

 

Keep an eye on this year’s little tern population by checking out the BirdWatch Ireland blog at

http://littleternconservation.blogspot.ie/

 

Have you ever seen the little terns at Kilcoole? They look like small seagulls and are great at diving for fish. Let us know if you have seen any!