The Crested Tern is one of a number of different Terns found in this district, easily distinguished from the others by its shaggy, black crest. It is often seen resting along sheltered parts of the intertidal zone and estuaries of local creeks, in small groups, sometimes with Silvergulls and Pacific Gulls.

They feed by diving into the sea to catch small fish such as pilchards, which they swallow whole in midair. They breed from September to December in large colonies on offshore islands, laying a single stone coloured blotched egg in a scrape in the sand.

Size: 44-48cm

Photo: Mark Trinham. Illustration: Mark Trinham.