Sooty Tern
SOOTY TERN
Sterna Fuscata
Family Strernidae
Resident and Migrant populations- Uncommon
Length 16.5" (420mm) Wingspan 35" (890mm)
Bird # 317 - May 2011
Easiest tern to ID in the Philippines. Black and white in the adult with a white forehead. White underside. Black bill. Deeply forked tail which is spread wide when hovering and giving instructions to the immature birds.
Sooty Terns are uncommon in the Philippines. They are common in other parts of the world. They are the most pelagic of all terns and are rarely seen on land except when breeding. They remain at sea from the time they fledge until they are ready to breed at about 3 to 7 years old. Like most terns, they pair for life and return to breed in the same colony where they were born. It is still a mystery where they Sooty Terns that are born in Tubbataha spend their adolescent period. This is a question that could be answered by a radio transmitter tagging program! There are resident and migrant Sooty Tern populations in the Philippines.
Sooty Terns rear their young in kindergartens. All of the young birds are left together on shore under the watch of a few adults. Arne Jensen said that three adults watch a group of immature birds. The parents return at night. They recognize their chick by its voice and feed only their own chick. Parents can forage for hundreds of kilometers at a time gathering food. From what we saw, the food is fed to them whole and is not pre-digested. They were seen eating squid. This year the Sooty Terns started their breeding cycle in February, much earlier than they used to starr their cycle. The dark brown immature birds shown here are about one month old. From afar, they look like they are covered in light spots. The spots are actually the tips of the feathers.
Read MoreSterna Fuscata
Family Strernidae
Resident and Migrant populations- Uncommon
Length 16.5" (420mm) Wingspan 35" (890mm)
Bird # 317 - May 2011
Easiest tern to ID in the Philippines. Black and white in the adult with a white forehead. White underside. Black bill. Deeply forked tail which is spread wide when hovering and giving instructions to the immature birds.
Sooty Terns are uncommon in the Philippines. They are common in other parts of the world. They are the most pelagic of all terns and are rarely seen on land except when breeding. They remain at sea from the time they fledge until they are ready to breed at about 3 to 7 years old. Like most terns, they pair for life and return to breed in the same colony where they were born. It is still a mystery where they Sooty Terns that are born in Tubbataha spend their adolescent period. This is a question that could be answered by a radio transmitter tagging program! There are resident and migrant Sooty Tern populations in the Philippines.
Sooty Terns rear their young in kindergartens. All of the young birds are left together on shore under the watch of a few adults. Arne Jensen said that three adults watch a group of immature birds. The parents return at night. They recognize their chick by its voice and feed only their own chick. Parents can forage for hundreds of kilometers at a time gathering food. From what we saw, the food is fed to them whole and is not pre-digested. They were seen eating squid. This year the Sooty Terns started their breeding cycle in February, much earlier than they used to starr their cycle. The dark brown immature birds shown here are about one month old. From afar, they look like they are covered in light spots. The spots are actually the tips of the feathers.
SOOTY TERN Sterna Fuscata Tubbataha, Sulu Sea The bird on the right is doing the erect or "pole" stance. These birds do this after mating.
SOOTY TERNSterna FuscataTubbatahaSulu SeaPhilippinesTonjiSylviaMayMay 2011WWFTMOTubbataha Reef
