In 2026, funded by the Navisense Cluster of Excellence supported by the DFG, we have started a study trackingthe last gull-billed terns breeding in Central Europe. The aim is to learn about their space use both at the breeding site, as well as during migration and in their wintering areas, in order to learn about what they need where, and what endangers them. We do so hosted by a team of conservation biologists protecting the breeding habitat and preventing negative effects of predation and flooding during the breeding season. In this first season, we have managed to equip 26 breeding adults and 9 of their fledged chicks with an Ornitela GPS logger. The data coming in from these loggers are nothing short of amazing. But in some cases the news is bad.

Before the breeding season even came to an end, gull-billed tern L02 died after colliding with a wind turbine she encountered on a foraging trip. She is the first bird of the species to be reported to die from this cause for Europe, likely because predators would usually clear the evidence before finding out. L02 left behind her partner E7 and their chick H15. Luckily E7 managed to fledge H15 on his own, and both were seen at a stop-over site in the Netherlands on the 5^th of August.

Only few days later, on the 9^th of August, the GPS of gull-billed tern L49 suggested that the bird might be dead. After posting about this on Bluesky, many kind people offered help. They visited the site in France provided by the logger, and found the bird. It turned out it had been shot. With the help of the local League for the Protection of Birds, and the French Office for Biodiversity we are collecting all proof and figuring out what legal action can be taken.

In better news: 18 of the breeding adults and 2 of the fledglings have already safely made their way to Africa, where they are ‘out of reach’ for us for now, but where their loggers will keep collecting data. These data will reach us once the birds are back in Europe, where their loggers can connect to a network and transfer them. Fingers crossed for no more mortality among them!