Greater crested tern, Australia

Found resting on a bridge handrail.Allowed me to get as close as about 3 m which is unusual.

comments (5)

Thibaud Aronson

Lion

Hi Ernst, your bird is not a fairy tern, which is tiny, with a really thin pointed bill and orange legs (See https://ebird.org/species/faiter2/AU-SA).
What you've got here is a great crested tern, much chunkier, with a heavier bill and black feet
(https://ebird.org/species/grcter1/AU-SA). Posted 5 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Thanks for checking and for the ID challenge, much appreciated.
  @Ernst: already made the correction, so if you agree, no action needed. Posted 5 years ago
2. Ernst
  
  Lion
  
  Thank you and I will never confuse them again Posted 5 years ago
3. Ernst
  
  Lion
  
  Thank you and yes you are correct and I am happy that my tern has the proper name. Thanks to you and Ferdy. Posted 5 years ago
4. 1. Thibaud Aronson
    
    Lion
    
    Happy to help :) Posted 5 years ago

The Greater crested tern

The greater crested tern is a tern in the family Laridae that nests in dense colonies on coastlines and islands in the tropical and subtropical Old World. Its five subspecies breed in the area from South Africa around the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific and Australia, all populations dispersing widely from the breeding range after nesting.

Info 16 0

Similar species: Shorebirds And Allies

Species identified by Ferdy Christant