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Understanding the spatial dynamics of populations is essential for conservation of species at the landscape level. Species that have adapted to stable environments may not move from their breeding areas even if these have become sub-optimal due to anthropogenic disturbances. Instead, they may breed unsuccessfully or choose not to breed at all. Damara Terns Sternula balaenarum feed off the highly productive Benguela Upwelling System. They breed on the coastal desert mainland of Namibia where development and off-road driving is threatening breeding areas. We report annual survival and breeding dispersal probabilities of 214 breeding adult Damara Terns through capture–mark–recapture at two colonies for 9 years (2001–2009) in central Namibia. Using multi-state models in program MARK, model selection based on AICc favoured a model that suggests local annual survival of Damara Terns …