Common terns have been at the centre of research at the Institute of Avian Research for many years. At the colony at Banter See in Wilhelmshaven, researchers study how individual animals develop, how successfully they breed, and how environmental changes affect a wild population.

In this article from the series „Die Flugbegleiter“ by RiffReporter, Prof. Dr. Sandra Bouwhuis talks about her research on common terns and the challenges posed by bird flu. The article shows how valuable long-term research is when environmental conditions suddenly change and a colony is affected by an acute threat.

The focus is on the common tern colony at Banter See, the effects of bird flu, and the question of how scientific observation can help us better understand changes in wild populations.

The german article by Christian Schwägerl / Die Flugbegleiter, with Sandra Bouwhuis, published by RiffReporter on 27. July 2022 can be found here.