Black Tern Conservation

The North American Black Tern (Chlidonias niger), a migratory bird that breeds in freshwater marshes, is rapidly declining across the Great Lakes states and throughout its breeding range in the Midwest, underscoring an urgent need for conservation action. In places, these elegant terns face population declines up to 99% (according to Breeding Bird Survey data), severely threatening their chances of long-term survival.  

In Michigan, where many historic Black Tern colonies are located, Audubon coordinates large-scale monitoring and data collection alongside partners and volunteers to better understand the factors driving population decline and design effective science-backed conservation solutions to safeguard the future of these graceful birds. Research efforts include bird banding and using radio tags to develop an integrated population model to answer questions such as, are adults surviving long enough to return to the breeding grounds, or are not enough young being produced and fledging successfully? Filling these important knowledge gaps about Black Terns and the wetland habitats they need to raise young birds—the future of the species—will inform management and conservation efforts in the Great Lakes region and beyond.  

In addition, we know that Black Terns across the region are threatened by habitat degradation due to invasive plants, loss of floating nest mats, severe weather events, and changing water levels. Audubon is leading habitat restoration work to combat this, currently focusing on two major breeding sites in Michigan: St. Clair Flats State Wildlife Area and Wigwam Bay State Wildlife Area. Goals include improving marsh conditions by combating invasive species such as cattails and mitigating threats to nestling survival—fostering long-term ecological resilience across the Great Lakes region and ensuring a viable future for Black Terns. 

This project is made possible thanks to the tremendous dedication of the partners and volunteers that have been part of the project since 2013. Organizational partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (including the USWFS Coastal Program), Detroit Audubon, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Detroit Zoological Society, the University of Michigan, Indiana University, Lake Superior State University, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Sault Tribe of the Chippewa Indians, Common Coast Research and Conservation, Upper Mississippi Great Lakes Joint Venture, and Kalamazoo Nature Center.