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The nesting area of a fairy tern "super colony" has been devastated in WA's South West almost halfway through the threatened species' breeding season.
The colony, made up of at least 350 breeding pairs, was nesting at a restricted access site within the Bunbury Port, about 170 kilometres south of Perth.
But a visit from a monitoring team on Sunday found the colony had been significantly disrupted with crushed eggs, dead chicks, and just a few stray runners left.
Fairy tern chicks are commonly known as "runners" before they learn to fly. (Supplied: Claire Greenwell)
WA Seabird Conservation Network deputy chair Dr Nic Dunlop said the site had evidence of disturbance from humans, dogs, and cats.
"We had a big colony at the tip of the break walls in Bunbury," Dr Dunlop said.
"But it was ruined by someone in a boat who landed on the beach and released their dog which then proceeded to rush around the colony until it was abandoned."
Dr Nic Dunlop says the group are often disappointed by the carelessness of some people when it comes to wildlife. (Supplied: Nic Dunlop )
A single breeding pair will only lay between one and three eggs per season, so the Bunbury super colony could have produced several hundred chicks if not for the incident.
Dr Dunlop said fortunately around 120 fledglings, which were chicks that could fly, were produced early this season.
"It wasn't a complete failure thank goodness," he said.
In addition to this incident, Dr Dunlop said the conservation group had issues with a stray cat hunting around the nesting site throughout the breeding period, with teams often finding bird remains and feline tracks across the beach.
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Fairy tern colonies are so vulnerable to predation that just a single prowling hunter can have a dire effect.
This happened to a colony in Mandurah back in 2019 when a single cat killed almost 50 of the birds over several nights.
Nesting site within restricted area
The nesting area for the fairy tern breeding period in Bunbury is located near the outer harbour within the Bunbury Port.
The ABC understands it is a restricted area subject to security patrols.
A Southern Ports spokesperson said the organisation would assist the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) if there was an investigation into the incident, which includes allegations someone accessed the breeding site via boat.
Fairy terns nesting at the Bunbury port site. (Supplied: DBCA)
"We share in the disappointment of this outcome for the colony and all those who have been working to protect the species," the spokesperson said.
"It is a timely reminder to the public that unauthorised access to prohibited areas around the port is a federal offence.
"These areas are set aside from the public for border protection and safe port operations, which also provides a quieter environment for the protection of our fairy tern colonies."
A DBCA spokesperson said the department would continue to work with Southern Ports to identify what measures could be put in place to protect the remaining population of fairy terns.
Calls for more preventative measures
There are fewer than 3,000 breeding pairs of fairy terns left in Western Australia, with around 700 of those in the Perth metro area.
They are threatened by humans, animals and rising sea levels.
Nesting sites and newly-hatched fairy terns are vulnerable to cats and dogs. (ABC Radio Perth: Kate Leaver)
Dr Dunlop said there needed to be more pre-emptive measures in place to protect the species as they continue to use human sites as nesting grounds.
"Sites that offer a beach-like habitat above the water mark are becoming increasingly important," he said.
"So it means we need intensive, pre-emptive management of these areas which includes not only signage, fencing, and education, but constant attention to control feral predators.
"They're an extraordinary tenacious bird. It would be a great pity if we no longer had them in our region."