Birds · Charadriiformes · Laridae

Atlantic White Tern

Gygis alba

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The white tern, or fairy tern, is an entirely white seabird with a blue-black bill and huge eyes ringed in dark that give it an unmistakable expression. It lives on tropical islands throughout the oceans and has one of the most reckless nesting strategies in the animal kingdom: it builds no nest and balances its single egg on a bare branch, a fork or a ledge.

Weight

90 g – 140 g

Size

25 cm – 30 cm

Lifespan

18 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanIslandsCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Ocean Islands

57countries 4parks19same family

Fun facts

It makes no nest: it lays the egg balanced directly on a bare branch, and many are lost to the wind. The chick hatches with disproportionately large claws that let it grip the bark from its first day.
It is the unofficial city bird of Honolulu, where an urban colony nests in the street trees and where it is protected by municipal ordinance.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Tropical oceanic islands and warm waters of every ocean
Sexual maturity: 4.8 years
Gestation / incubation: 36 days
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gygis_alba