Did a fairy tern fly from Seychelles to UK? |28 April 2025
Llanberis fairy tern (Photo: Contributed)
Did a fairy tern fly from Seychelles to UK?
By Adrian Skerret
On February 27, 2025, a staff member of the Royal Victoria Hotel, Llanberis in North Wales, picked up a bird in the hotel grounds that he did not recognise. He took it inside and an online search revealed the identity. It was a species that everyone in Seychelles would have recognised instantly, a fairy tern or golan blan.
Llanberis lies within Snowdonia National Park, near one of the UK's highest summits. The surrounding mountain range is known for its rugged beauty. In February, the peaks can be snow-covered, bleak and desolate. They are swept by high winds and frequently experience subzero temperatures. This is the last place on earth you would expect to see a symbol of the tropics such as the Fairy Tern, yet it happened. It is the first time the species has been recorded anywhere in Europe.
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