The Crested Tern is the second largest of the terns found in Australia and one of the most commonly seen species. It has a pale yellow bill, scruffy black crest, grey wings and back, and a white neck and underparts. Although it is often observed on its own, the Crested Tern also frequently forms mixed flocks with other species. Most common calls are a raspy 'kirrick' or 'krrow'. HABITAT: Form small to large flocks, often with other species, along coastal areas. They are seldom seen on inland waterways, preferring islands, beaches, lakes and inlets.
Not Threatened.
The Crested Tern is the second largest of the terns found in Australia and one of the most commonly seen species. It has a pale yellow bill, scruffy black crest, grey wings and back, and a white neck and underparts. Although it is often observed on its own, the Crested Tern also frequently forms mixed flocks with other species. Most common calls are a raspy 'kirrick' or 'krrow'. HABITAT: Form small to large flocks, often with other species, along coastal areas. They are seldom seen on inland waterways, preferring islands, beaches, lakes and inlets.
44-49 cm
Taxonomy:
- Sterna Bergii Lichtenstein, 1823, Cape of Good Hope. Genus often merged with Sterna. Sometimes considered to form superspecies with T. maximus. Subspecific taxonomy unusually confusing, with many other races proposed, e.g. bakeri, edwardsi, halodramus, pelecanoides, poliocercua; race gwendolenae may not be valid. Six subspecies currently recognized. (source: Handbook of the Birds of World)
Subspecies and Distribution:
- * bergii (Lichtenstein, 1823) - Namibia to South Africa; some non-breeders move to S Mozambique. * enigma (Clancey, 1979) - Zambezi Delta, believed to nest on islands off Mozambique and Madagascar. * thalassinus (Stresemann, 1914) - Tanzania, Seychelles, Aldabra and Rodrigues I, and possibly this race in NW Madagascar; wanders to S Somalia. * velox (Cretzschmar, 1827) - Red Sea and NW Somalia E to Myanmar, Maldives and Sri Lanka; W populations winter S to Kenya. * cristatus (Stephens, 1826) - Malaysia to Philippines and Ryukyu Is, and E Australia to Society Is. * gwendolenae (Mathews, 1912) - W & NW Australia.
Form small to large flocks, often with other species, along coastal areas. They are seldom seen on inland waterways, preferring islands, beaches, lakes and inlets.
feeds mainly on small surface fish that are between 5 cm to 8 cm long. Upon sighting a fish from the air, the Crested Tern plunges downwards into the water and grabs it behind the head. Fisher folk often use flocks of feeding terns to locate shoals of fish.
form large, noisy colonies on offshore islands, often with other terns or gulls. The eggs, placed in a shallow scrape in the ground, are incubated by both sexes, and both care for the young. The downy young birds group together to form crèches (nurseries). Oct-Dec.