HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania. — You know a species is falling on hard times when it’s upgraded to endangered status. But that’s exactly the fate of the common tern in Pennsylvania.

Although they were never widespread—terns nest here only in Presque Isle State Park in Erie County—they were once regular breeding birds. Historical records from the 1930s show that there were 100 breeding pairs at Gull Point at the eastern end of the park.

However, human interference eventually drove these birds away, and the species was declared “extirpated”—completely lost—in Pennsylvania in 1985. In 1999, a single pair returned, placing the species on the state’s endangered species list, where it has remained ever since. After controlling invasive plants to restore beach habitat, terns have attempted to nest at Gull Point. Since 2012, 21 common tern nests have been established there, but have been unsuccessful.

But now there is finally some good news. For the first time in 60 years, common terns have successfully bred in the Keystone State. On Saturday, August 17, two tern chicks fledged in Presque Isle State Park.

This breakthrough, which took decades, was achieved through intervention and innovation.

Staff from the Game Commission’s Northwest Region office, the Bureau of Wildlife Management’s Wildlife Recovery Division, Presque Isle State Park, the Erie Bird Observatory and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy have worked together for decades to improve beach habitat at Gull Point for the benefit of birds.

In recent years, it was not the lack of habitat that prevented the terns from nesting successfully. The problem was that even when the young terns hatched, they did not survive long as there were large numbers and types of predators on the beach that hunted. These included hundreds of gulls, which were frequent nest raiders and would happily snap up a tern chick that was loitering nearby.

The outlook didn’t seem any better this year. A pair of terns returned to Presque Isle, but their first nest had failed. They then made a second nesting attempt. But without help, this nest seemed likely to suffer the same fate as the 21 others since 2012.

“It was time to try something new to save this species,” said Lisa Williams, director of the Game Commission’s wildlife rescue division.

Game Commission staff, led by endangered bird specialist Patti Barber, came up with the idea of ​​building an enclosure or predator shelter—it could be an open-roofed fortress around the nest—to keep predators away.

“It was a risky plan,” said Barber. “Since there is only one breeding pair on the beach, these birds will not tolerate disturbance and will most likely abandon the nest.”

Then there was the question of whether it was the right thing to do to offer such help in the first place. Because the Game Commission is responsible for managing 480 species of birds and mammals in an interconnected food chain, it does not normally intervene to help a single species of wildlife escape predators. But in this unique case – a nest on a barren beach with very little protection, with literally hundreds of gulls nesting nearby, and after there had been 21 nest losses over the years – staff felt it was appropriate to intervene.

Just not too fast.

Barber and his colleagues in the Game Commission’s southeastern region office modified a nest protection system used in Canada, making it smaller and developing a way to easily transport it to the beach. It was built around the nest in stages over four days, giving the birds time to acclimate between visits.

Biologists, meanwhile, were monitoring the birds daily to ensure they were returning to incubate eggs rather than changing their behavior or care of the chicks. Days of nervous waiting followed. Why so nervous? A successful return of the nesting common terns would not only be a test for the rescue partnerships working to return a lost breeding bird to the state, but also a success that could lead to more terns recolonizing the site.

Time and patience were the answer.

Eventually, the eggs hatched and the young fledged—something not seen in Pennsylvania terns since Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali, the Beatles first came to America, and Disney’s Mary Poppins broke box office records when it debuted.

This is a milestone in the Game Commission’s mission to conserve and protect a species for present and future generations.

“It’s amazing what we can accomplish when partners work together!” said Barber.