THE WHITE-FRONTED TERN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27266, 17 December 1949, Page 6

THE WHITE-FRONTED TERN

Wild Life In Otago

Written for the Daily Times by L. E. Richdale The white-fronted tern is a common, local coastal bird and, in 'fact, is found in most parts of New Zealand. Near Dunedin terns do not nest in very large colonies, but a little farther afield they may gather for the nesting season in many thousands. The whitefronted tern is largely whitish all over, with a black cap on its head and a white streak across the forehead just above the beak. The beak and feet .-are black. The tail resembles that a swallow, and for this reason the birds are often called sea swallows.

f Early in the spring the terns assemble on their breeding areas preparatory to laying. These areas may 'be on grassy cliffs, old wharves, sandy beaches, river beds and islands, either off-shore or in rivers. The nest itself is not much , more than a hollow, in which one or two much-spotted eggs rare laid. When the chick emerges it is also much-spotted, so that it is in- : conspicuous to enemies. The parent terns catch small silvery fish by diving from some distance above the surface 5 ’of me water.- The fish is then carried > in the bill to the young, which merely takes the fish from its parent and then . swallows it. , . - , ' ' Terns, nesting, in river-beds often ’••. suffer considerable loss (if the river becomes flooded, but it is thought that ..•they begin nesting operations again if .’-the season is not too late. A .feature -\ot many tern colonies is the presence r of a number of red-billed gulls, which i .breed in association with the terns. / s’lfc