Little terns are busy raising their chicks on the roof of the Morigasaki Water Reclamation Center, a sewage treatment facility in Ota Ward, Tokyo.
The endangered migratory birds' population has been declining because of habitat loss, as there are fewer beaches that are suitable for nesting and raising their young. The Environment Ministry has listed the species as vulnerable on its Red List.
The birds fly north in the spring and have nested on top of the water reclamation center since 2001. As of June 27, 30 nests and five chicks have been observed this year.
Wataru Kitamura, president of the Little Tern Project, a non-profit organization that has been working with the Tokyo metropolitan government bureau of sewerage and other organizations to cover the roof with gravel, said, "We hope to continue watching over the birds for years to come."
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