barcaldine rec park - caspian tern
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
The Flickr map is very old and does not show the water rec park.
Caspian Tern
Scientific Name: Hydroprogne caspia
Australia’s largest tern, the Caspian Tern is easily identified by its large, bright-red, dagger-like bill. They forage by plunge-diving into the water from heights of up to 15 metres, grabbing a fish with that massive beak. Caspian Terns are able to take larger fish than any other Australian tern. They are widespread around virtually the entire Australian coastline, and also occur inland along major rivers, especially in the Murray–Darling and Lake Eyre drainage basins, preferring wetlands with clear water so they can detect their prey.
Identification
Description: The Caspian Tern is the largest tern in Australia, with long, slender backswept wings and a slightly forked tail. The heavy bill is red with a dusky tip. When breeding the tern is white, except for a black crown from bill to nape and a short shaggy black crest. The mantle and upperwings are grey and the flight feathers are darker. The eye is dark brown and legs are black. When not breeding, the crown is finely streaked white. The sexes are similar. Immature birds are similar to non-breeding adults. Younger birds are mottled grey and brown.
Distribution: Caspian Terns are found throughout Australasia, North America, Eurasia and Africa.
Feeding: Caspian Terns feed almost entirely on fish. They usually feed by shallow plunging; hovering up to 15 m above the water with bill pointing down, before folding wings in and diving, fully submerged, to quickly re-emerge. They usually swallow fish in flight, head first. Most feeding activity is in the early to mid-morning. Whole fish are regurgitated to feed the young.
Breeding: Caspian Terns breed in scattered single pairs or dense colonies. Both sexes share nest-building, incubation and care of the young. The nest is a deep scrape, usually unlined, but occasionally sparsely ringed with debris or scraps of local vegetation such as saltbush.
(Source: birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/caspian-tern)
__________________________________________
© Chris Burns 2025
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.
barcaldine rec park - caspian tern
Many thanks for your visits, faves and comments. Cheers.
The Flickr map is very old and does not show the water rec park.
Caspian Tern
Scientific Name: Hydroprogne caspia
Australia’s largest tern, the Caspian Tern is easily identified by its large, bright-red, dagger-like bill. They forage by plunge-diving into the water from heights of up to 15 metres, grabbing a fish with that massive beak. Caspian Terns are able to take larger fish than any other Australian tern. They are widespread around virtually the entire Australian coastline, and also occur inland along major rivers, especially in the Murray–Darling and Lake Eyre drainage basins, preferring wetlands with clear water so they can detect their prey.
Identification
Description: The Caspian Tern is the largest tern in Australia, with long, slender backswept wings and a slightly forked tail. The heavy bill is red with a dusky tip. When breeding the tern is white, except for a black crown from bill to nape and a short shaggy black crest. The mantle and upperwings are grey and the flight feathers are darker. The eye is dark brown and legs are black. When not breeding, the crown is finely streaked white. The sexes are similar. Immature birds are similar to non-breeding adults. Younger birds are mottled grey and brown.
Distribution: Caspian Terns are found throughout Australasia, North America, Eurasia and Africa.
Feeding: Caspian Terns feed almost entirely on fish. They usually feed by shallow plunging; hovering up to 15 m above the water with bill pointing down, before folding wings in and diving, fully submerged, to quickly re-emerge. They usually swallow fish in flight, head first. Most feeding activity is in the early to mid-morning. Whole fish are regurgitated to feed the young.
Breeding: Caspian Terns breed in scattered single pairs or dense colonies. Both sexes share nest-building, incubation and care of the young. The nest is a deep scrape, usually unlined, but occasionally sparsely ringed with debris or scraps of local vegetation such as saltbush.
(Source: birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/caspian-tern)
__________________________________________
© Chris Burns 2025
All rights reserved.
This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying and recording without my written consent.