3D-printed birds welcome migrating terns to Scottish breeding sites - NatureScot
Species on the Edge partnership news release
As part of a new species conservation programme, Species on the Edge, the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Outer Hebrides and RSPB Scotland have been collaborating to produce 3D-printed terns to signal safe breeding sites to returning terns.
Species on the Edge is a new innovative and ambitious partnership programme of eight nature conservation charities, all dedicated to improving the fortunes of 37 priority species found along Scotland's coast and islands. The partnership consists of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, The Bat Conservation Trust, Buglife, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, NatureScot, Plantlife, and RSPB Scotland.
Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fun, the four-and-a-half-year programme is active across seven areas in Scotland: Shetland; Orkney; the North Coast; the East Coast; Solway; the Inner Hebrides and Argyll; and the Outer Hebrides.
Together, the eight Species on the Edge partners are working on nine species recovery projects. One of these projects, titled Terning the Tide, aims to support declining populations of three tern species, Arctic tern, common tern and little tern, by using measures to protect and enhance established breeding colonies which tend to nest in large numbers on beaches on islands and coastal areas.
As part of these measures, new areas of tern nesting habitat have been created through effective habitat management. But how do terns find these new nesting areas when they return to Scotland to breed?
To give the returning terns a helping hand, the Terning the Tide project teamed up with the UHI Outer Hebrides Technology Department to create 3D printed replicas of Arctic and little terns. These replicas, termed decoys, are exact copies of the tern species 3D printed in white plastic. Once painted, the decoys are then placed in the area of newly created nesting habitat to act as a signal to the returning terns that this is a safe place to settle and breed.
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Posted On: 21/06/2023