Maryland gave disappearing seabirds a floating wooden island in 2020; six years later, common terns built 376 nests on it and 84 more on nearby restored land

Every spring, common terns return to Maryland’s shores in search of the same thing: a quiet area with open ground suitable for laying eggs and raising chicks. However, the small sandy islands they once used began disappearing, and fewer places remained for the birds to breed. In 2020, conservationists began developing a floating wooden nesting island specifically for a species running out of nesting space.

Wildlife organizations, as a solution, built a floating island that year. The idea was to create something similar to the former nesting islands used by the seabirds that were disappearing as a result of climate change impacts. The plan to build the artificial raft led to success. Audubon Mid-Atlantic reported that by 2026, biologists had recorded 376 common tern nests on the floating raft and another 84 nests on nearby restored land, creating a total of 460 nests across the two colonies.

When disappearing islands threatened a seabird


Common terns depend on open, sandy islands because their eggs are laid directly on the ground. In Maryland’s Coastal Bays, those nesting areas gradually disappeared because of erosion, rising seas, and repeated storms. The decline was drastic. Over 1,200 common tern nests were observed in Maryland's Coastal Bays in the late 1980s and early 1990s. By approximately 2020, there were fewer than 30 pairs in the region. Rather than waiting for natural revegetation, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Maryland Coastal Bays Program, and Audubon Mid-Atlantic developed an artificial nesting site for the area that would provide immediate nesting habitat while long-term restoration efforts were underway.

Building a floating home for birds

The artificial island was no ordinary flat structure floating in the water. According to an article published in Maryland News, volunteers constructed eight 8 x 16-foot wooden platforms and tied them together, then covered them with crushed clam shells, which they hoped would simulate a natural nesting beach. The structure was then anchored in Chincoteague Bay, away from heavy human activity and predators. The design also included features to safeguard young birds. Artificial grass and small chick shelters were used to give cover similar to the cover young terns would have on natural islands. The idea was to provide a safe and secure environment for the adult birds to lay their eggs and raise their young. However, there was no guarantee the birds would accept a human-made island.

The birds arrived sooner than expected

The first breeding season provided an immediate answer. A total of 23 nests of common terns were established on the floating platform in 2021, and 22 chicks were raised. The colony grew rapidly thereafter. The raft hosted 155 common tern nests in 2022, making it the largest breeding colony of the species in Maryland’s Coastal Bays at the time. The increase indicated that birds were not only able to use the artificial structure, but also came back to it each year. Researchers observed strong site fidelity, meaning many terns returned to the same nesting location after migration.

A floating island became a bridge to natural recovery

The raft was never intended to replace natural habitat permanently. Instead, it served as a temporary solution while conservation groups worked to restore natural nesting areas. Nearby restoration at Reedy Beach and West Reedy Island created additional nesting habitat, and researchers documented birds that had hatched on the floating raft later establishing nests on restored natural islands. The birds that began life on an artificial structure were helping rebuild a natural colony elsewhere.

A conservation project that expanded naturally

Over time, researchers noticed that the restored habitats also began supporting expanding colonies. The expanding colonies showed that the project was supporting recovery beyond the original floating structure. The growing colonies indicated that the artificial island helped restore a larger breeding population. That was an important step for conservationists. The raft was a haven for the first birds to come back, while birds establishing colonies on reclaimed natural habitat indicated that recovery was starting to move beyond the artificial raft itself.