General Description

Grey and white plumage and a forked tail. Fairy Terns have a black notch in front of the eye but this doesn't ever reach the bill. Breeding season: adults have a bright orange-yellow bill and legs, a solid black cap and white forehead. Non-breeding season: the bill and legs are dull brown-black and the black cap recesses and becomes blotchy at the front. Head to bill length up to 24 cm. Very similar in appearance to the Little Tern.

Biology

Fairy Terns feed on bait-size fish, catching them by drawing their wings tightly to the sides of their body and plunging head-first into the water. The birds nest along the coast, usually in colonies and often with similar looking Little Terns. They make a simple scrape in the sand for their nest, sometimes lining it with small shells. The normal clutch size is one to two cream-coloured eggs that are blotched with black and brown. Both parents incubate the eggs then help brood and feed the young. Like other beach-nesting birds, Fairy Terns are very susceptible to disturbance during the summer breeding season and their nest sites shouldn't be approached. There are three subspecies of Fairy Tern that breed in different countries. Australian numbers have declined in eastern Victoria and Tasmania over the last 30 years. The Gippsland Lakes are an important breeding habitat in Victoria.

Distribution

New Zealand, New Caledonia. Western, southern and eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania.

Habitat

Sand or shell-covered shores, saline or brackish lakes.

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