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This New Naturalist volume provides a much-anticipated overview of these fascinating birds – the first book on the natural history of British and Irish terns since 1934. Terns are small seabirds that are commonly seen along coastlines and estuaries in the summer months – their graceful flight and command of the air are among their most attractive features. Most of the five species of terns breeding in Britain and Ireland today are under intensive management, involving protection from predators, human interference, egg-collecting, recreational activities, land-use changes, and a range of issues concerning climate change, including rising sea levels and flooding of low-lying colonies. If these protective measures were abandoned then the numbers of terns would inevitably decline, with the possibility of several species ending up on the endangered list. Covering the history of terns in Britain and Ireland, David Cabot and Ian Nisbet explore these diverse issues as well as offering a comprehensive natural history of these stunning seabirds. Drawing on a wealth of new information and research, the authors focus on migrations, food and feeding ecology as well as breeding biology and behaviour. Perhaps most importantly, they highlight recent conservation issues and prospects, and what this means for the future of terns.
- GenresOrnithology
480 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2013
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April 9, 2026
This is the second of the “New Naturalist” series that I have bought and studied, and both have been really excellent books. (My first was “Bird Populations” by Ian Newton.)
The book is both interesting and beautiful – just like the terns it covers, in fact. Indeed, the book made me think of the view of the great nineteenth century scientist Alexander von Humboldt, that nature can and should be both studied scientifically AND appreciated aesthetically.
The text is very well written and informative, explaining the ornithology/science in terms that a layperson can follow. The book is also packed with lots of brilliant photographs which illustrate the behaviour of the birds.
There are chapters on terns in general, covering food, breeding biology, migration, conservation etc. And then there are also separate chapters on each of the tern species that breeds in Britain and Ireland.
I found it particularly interesting to read explanations of the behaviour that I have actually seen in the wild. “Plunge-diving” is one example of this. Another is the close view I got recently on Inner Farne of a male Arctic Tern bringing a fish to its female partner, in the pre-egg-laying period, on the nest site they had settled on in preparation for producing and raising young.
In relation to conservation, it is worrying to read that several species of tern could end up on the endangered list if it were not for the fact that they are “on life-support systems” – that is, that their breeding colonies are under protective management.
If you enjoy watching terns and want to learn more about their lives and behaviour, you’ll love this book.
The book is both interesting and beautiful – just like the terns it covers, in fact. Indeed, the book made me think of the view of the great nineteenth century scientist Alexander von Humboldt, that nature can and should be both studied scientifically AND appreciated aesthetically.
The text is very well written and informative, explaining the ornithology/science in terms that a layperson can follow. The book is also packed with lots of brilliant photographs which illustrate the behaviour of the birds.
There are chapters on terns in general, covering food, breeding biology, migration, conservation etc. And then there are also separate chapters on each of the tern species that breeds in Britain and Ireland.
I found it particularly interesting to read explanations of the behaviour that I have actually seen in the wild. “Plunge-diving” is one example of this. Another is the close view I got recently on Inner Farne of a male Arctic Tern bringing a fish to its female partner, in the pre-egg-laying period, on the nest site they had settled on in preparation for producing and raising young.
In relation to conservation, it is worrying to read that several species of tern could end up on the endangered list if it were not for the fact that they are “on life-support systems” – that is, that their breeding colonies are under protective management.
If you enjoy watching terns and want to learn more about their lives and behaviour, you’ll love this book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review