| Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis (Latham, 1787)) |
|
|
|
Scientific name: Thalasseus sandvicensis (Latham, 1787) Common name: Sandwich Tern Other names: Other scientific name: Sterna sandvicensis. French name: Sterne caugek Order: Charadriiformes Family: Laridae Size: Body size: 36 to 41 cm; Wingspan: 98 to 110 cm; Weight: 210 to 260 g Habitat: Sandwich Terns are essentially coastal birds living in colonies. You mainly see them on flat coasts, dunes, beaches, meadows, small islands. Food: Sandwich Terns most exclusively feed on fishes. Preys are detected during a rather high stationary flight and captured by a vertical or oblique dive. Nesting: Sandwich Terns breed in large colonies and nests are very close to each other. Females lay 1 to 3 eggs directly on the ground, in May-June, in small depressions dug by both parents. Migration: The European subspecies Thalasseus sandvicensis sandvicensis winters on the Atlantic coasts of Africa and in the Arabic Peninsula. The North America's subspecies Thalasseus sandvicensis acuflavida winters in the Caribbean, in Central America and on the close coasts of South America. The subspecies of the Atlantic coasts of South America Thalasseus sandvicensis eurygnatha is more sedentary. Geographic area: Sandwich terns nest on the Western Europe, North America's and South America's Atlantic coasts. Some others also nest around the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. They winter on the northern coasts of the Indian Ocean, on the Africa's, Central America's and South America's Atlantic coasts and on the Central America's Pacific coasts. |
The Sandwich Tern has a very pale greyish back and a white belly. The head shows a black cap during the breeding season, then the forehead turns to white since early summer. The cap extends at the rear by a typical small erectile crest. The bill is black with a yellow tip. The legs are black. The Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica distinguishes by a shorter bill with a black tip and by the lack of the erectile crest. |
| [To know more about the Sandwich Tern] [Next picture] [Top] |
|
I have already observed this small flock of Sandwich Terns the day before, while doing my early running on the beach of "Vallées" next to Pléneuf-Val André. So I came back, the next morning with my camera. The light was not very good and it has been a little difficult to approach the birds. Some Terns came in flight from the sea to join the small flock while I was observing the scene. |
| [To know more about the Sandwich Tern] [Next picture] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
Here is my closest observation (and this picture is an important crop). You can clearly see the yellow tip of the bill on this picture. |
| [To know more about the Sandwich Tern] [Next picture] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
Several of these Sandwich Terns, observed on the Wadden Sea coast, have rings on their legs. I think that they have been ringed on the nesting area while they were juveniles and not yet able to fly. |
| [To know more about the Sandwich Tern] [Next picture] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
All the terns are oriented in the same direction. I have first thought that this was dependent on the wind direction but I am not so sure of this as I have shot pictures on which the flock looks at the north and other ones on which it looks at the south. |
| [To know more about the Sandwich Tern] [Next picture] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
The flocks always flew away when I tried to approach, keeping a respectable safety distance. |
| [To know more about the Sandwich Tern] [Next picture] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
A front view, in flight, shows an impressive wingspan compared to the size of the bird's body. |
| [To know more about the Sandwich Tern] [Previous picture] [Top] |
|
I have shot several pictures of Sandwich Terns in flight. Here is the one where they were the closest to me. |
André Bon June 2012