When we created two new islets in the reserve’s brackish lagoon in 2023, our goal was to provide nesting sites for Common Terns, Little Terns, Black-winged Stilts and other species associated with this type of habitat. Whether birds would actually choose the new islets for nesting, however, was no longer up to us. The final decision was ultimately up to the birds.

Following last year’s record of 241 breeding pairs of Common Terns, the majority of which nested on the newly created islets, this year’s breeding season has provided yet another confirmation that our decisions were the right ones. This year, Black-headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) nested on one of the new islets for the first time. Six chicks hatched from three nests, marking the first successful breeding record of this species in the Škocjanski zatok Nature Reserve.

The design of the new islets was anything but random. Their height, shape and location were determined based on the ecological requirements of target species, supported by many years of monitoring breeding birds in Škocjanski zatok.

The Black-headed Gull is a widespread species, but it is quite selective when choosing a nesting site. The successful breeding of three pairs on the new islets demonstrates that carefully planned conservation measures can make a meaningful contribution to the conservation of species and nature.