Abstract
Research was conducted on breeding of the Little Tern (Sterna albifrons) along the coast of Osaka Bay. Over 100 terns were found in two colonies on reclaimed land (Nishinomiya-hama and Kohshien-hama). No other large colonies were confirmed, but there is a strong possibility that such colonies do exist in areas of reclaimed land that were off-limits to the survey. Little Terns breeding on Osaka Bay depend upon reclaimed land for breeding sites. Availability of these sites fluctuates from year to year, resulting in instability in the tern's breeding environment.
From June 10 to July 7, 415 Little Terns were banded (30 adults, 2 juveniles and 383 chicks) at Nishinomiya-hama and Kohshien-hama.
