In Britain and Ireland, the diet consists mainly of small fish, especially sand eels (5), which are caught by plunge-diving (2) or are stolen from other tern species (5).The roseate tern arrives back in Britain later than other terns and soon starts to lay eggs (5). One brood containing between 1 and 3 pale eggs is produced between the end of May and early June, but a replacement brood can be produced if this clutch is lost. Juveniles reach maturity at 3 years of age (2).