Thalasseus
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 Sandwich Tern
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T. bengalensis |
Thalasseus, the crested terns, is a genus of six species of seabirds in the tern family. It has a world-wide distribution, and many of its species are abundant and well-known birds in their ranges.
These large terns breed in very dense colonies on coasts and islands, and exceptionally inland on suitable large freshwater lakes close to the coast. They nest in a ground scrape .
Thalasseus terns feed by plunge-diving for fish, almost invariably from the sea. They usually dive directly, and not from the "stepped-hover" favoured by, for example, the Arctic Tern. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.
These species have long thin sharp bills, usually a shade of yellow or orange except in the Sandwich Tern where the bill is black with a yellow tip in most subspecies. All species have a shaggy crest.
In winter, the Thalasseus terns' foreheads become white.
[edit] List of species in taxonomic order
- Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis
- Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus
- Greater Crested Tern or Swift Tern, Thalasseus bergii
- Chinese Crested Tern Thalasseus bernsteini
- Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans
- Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
[edit] References
- Harrison, Peter Seabirds: An Identification Guide ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
- Olsen and Larsson, Terns of Europe and North America ISBN 0-7136-4056-1
