Ranworth Broad Cameras

LIVE Wildlife Cameras at Ranworth Broad

These cameras have been placed on the Tern platforms at Ranworth Broad and Marshes nature reserve and are showing live views of nesting common tern and black-headed gulls.


Ranworth Broad boasts one of the largest inland common tern colonies in Norfolk – the rafts provided by NWT for them to nest on have seen up to sixty pairs successfully raise young in the past. However, like elsewhere in the country common tern numbers have been dwindling and we have also seen numbers drop at Ranworth over recent years.

The common tern is the most widespread, though not the most numerous tern species, with the last census suggesting about 15,000 pairs breeding in the UK. They inhabit coastal sands, shingle banks and islands, but disturbance of our shorelines, particularly here in Norfolk, has led to loss of many of their former colonies. Tern rafts have been placed on many lakes and broads in recent decades and have proved successful replacements for natural nest sites, often being utilised almost immediately.

The common tern, formerly referred to as the ‘sea swallow’ is superficially like a gull, but far more elegant with long wings, a bold black cap, short red legs and a red bill with a black tip. They arrive from the west coast of Africa in mid-April and have normally left our shores by the end of September.

Our Tipping the Balance project is an important scheme to improve water quality at both Ranworth and Barton broads. Within the funding, new improved floating tern ‘islands’ at both sites have been installed.