Phillip Island Nature Parks is celebrating 65 Critically Endangered fairy tern chicks fledging at a newly extended breeding site on the island for the first time since 2020.

The incredible conservation achievement marks a monumental year for the fairy terns, after the Nature Parks improved the breeding habitat for the seabirds.

Since 2016, the only successful breeding in the Western Port and Port Phillip region was on Phillip Island in 2019/20 when 31 fairy tern pairs fledged 49 chicks. Since then, there has been no successful breeding of fairy terns due to pests, weed infestation and human disturbance.

The site - twice the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground stadium - expanded the breeding habitat of the seabirds away from the shoreline after high tides inundated nests in 2023.

The project is one of the success stories outlined in the 2024 Threatened Species Report, released this month (see separate story), which recognises the collaborative conservation efforts by the Nature Parks, researchers and the community to protect threatened flora and fauna on Phillip Island.

As well as the positive breeding season for fairy terns, highlights of the past year include:

• The historic reintroduction of 12 Critically Endangered bush stone-curlews to Phillip Island.
• A successful 2023-24 breading season for hooded plovers, resulting in 12 pairs successfully raising 10 fledglings, achieving a fledging rate of 0.83 per pair - well above BirdLife Australia's benchmark of 0.5 fledglings per pair.
• Maintaining the island's fox-free status, while intensifying measures to control feral cats that pose a threat to native wildlife.
• The Endangered Eastern barred bandicoot continuing to thrive with the population spreading across the island.

Jessica McKelson, General Manager of Conservation, said the year's efforts had been rewarded with some big strides in the protection of threatened species on Phillip Island.

"Most importantly, these successes would not be possible without collaboration. We cannot do this important work alone, and the community had been central to our many achievements over the past year," Ms McKelson said.

"The contribution of 10,977 hours from student interns, volunteers and community groups have been integral to supporting our threatened species targets and making a real difference to the impact we make.

"Together, these results demonstrate what can be achieved when we work together for a shared thriving and biodiverse future."

She said the Nature Parks was also grateful to the Victorian Government for its financial support of initiatives to protect threatened species.

The fairy tern project involved the collaborative efforts of the Nature Parks, Birdlife Australia and Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, which were supported by a $55,000 investment from The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action's Nature Fund.

In addition, monitoring of the fairy terns by Birdlife Australia was supported by a Victorian Government $15,000 Icon Species grant, and partnerships with the Penguin Foundation and Melbourne Water.