other names
Brown-Winged Tern and Dog Tern

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DESCRIPTION

Sex similar in appearance. Length 400 to 420mm. Crown and nape black. All back, upper wings and tail are sooty-brown. Forehead is white, with black narrow line over eye. Dark brown eye. Black bill. Black feet.

Juvenile: As adults with upper parts flecked buff-white. Brown crown grading to white over front of head.

Voice: Barking wup wup. Grating cries karr karr or kr-arr kr-arr. In display kuak kuak and mer-er-er.

The Bridled Tern can be found along much of Australia's coastline from the south western corner of Western Australia, northward to the Northern Territory and Queensland. The movement of the tern varies with the seasons in Australia. In non-breeding months, mainly winter, they move northwards from their breeding grounds far out to sea, feeding and sleeping there. It can move as far as Indonesia and New Guinea during this time. In spring it returns to breed in colonies of tens to several thousands, on islands off the central west and northeast coasts. They roost at night on land on the ground and around low bushes and then fly well away from the colony to feed by day at sea. Flocking in groups the tern hovers over the water and dips down to pick fish sometime plunging into the water.

In display a pair will climb and swoop in unison, calling to each other. On the ground courting pairs drop their shoulders, step in circles around one another, wave, fence and peck with lowered bill picking up twigs and stones. Display courtship is near to potential nesting sites and pairs sleep close by at night.

Breeding is September to January in most areas, with a second autumn nesting period from April to June near the Kimberleys and around Arnhem Land. There is no nest, a single egg is laid on sand under a shelter of ledge or bush. Incubations is by both sexes for around 30 days.