OUWENEEL G (2013) Winter observations of Sandwich Terns in the Netherlands 1972 - 2012. LIMOSA 86 (1): 12-15.

In 1972 it was found that small numbers of Sandwich Terns winter in the Netherlands, more specifically in an area where a former estuary had been closed off from the North Sea, between the provinces of Zuid-Holland and Zeeland. Since then this species has been recorded here annually, in varying but very slightly increasing numbers, although this may also be the result of an increase in observers and the use of digital recording portals (Table 1). It is unclear whether Sandwich Terns had been wintering there before the closure of the Brouwersdam, but it is assumed that most of the wintering birds originate from breeding colonies in the region. Wintering of this species in Europe is a scarce phenomenon with only low numbers in surrounding countries.

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