©J.J. Harrison: Lesser crested tern
Colours
Distinguishing features
They are white below and around back of neck, grey above, a have a bright orange bill. The head has a black cap with a short shaggy crest at the nape. The upperwings, rump and central tail feathers are grey and the underparts white. The primary flight feathers darken during the summer. In winter, the forehead becomes white. �(Wikipedia)
Size
- From 37 cm to 42 cm (Length of specimen)
Wingspan
- Wingspan data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Similar taxa
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Animalia:
Crested Tern (species: Thalasseus bergii)
The Crested Tern is larger than the Lesser Crested Tern and has a yellow bill.
Distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
It breeds in subtropical coastal parts of the world mainly from the Red Sea across the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific, and Australia, with a significant population on the southern coast of the Mediterranean on two islands off the Libyan coast. The Australian birds are probably sedentary, but other populations are migratory, wintering south to South Africa. (Wikipedia)
Audio recordings
Diet
It feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments. It usually dives directly, and not from the "stepped-hover" favoured by Arctic Tern. (Wikipedia)
Web resources
References
- Simpson, K., N. Day and P. Trusler (2004). Field Guide to Birds of Australia: 7th Edition Penguin Group (Australia), Camberwell, Victoria.