Taranui - Caspian tern - Caspian tern - Hydroprogne caspia
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Sternidae.
The taranui - Caspian tern - is a large distinctive gull-like tern of shallow coastal waters and, particularly outside of the breeding season, inland lakes and rivers throughout New Zealand. It is an attractive sleek species whose guttural call is often heard before the bird is seen.
It is the largest of all species of terns. With its 1 metre wingspan, it is similar in size to a black-backed gull. Caspian terns are silver-grey above and white below, with dark wing tips. The tail is relatively short and only slightly forked compared to other terns. The large bill is mostly bright red in adults, becoming dark near the tip, with the extreme tip yellowish (only apparent at close range). Adults have black legs and a black cap to below the eye during the breeding season. The cap becomes speckled with white and less sharply delineated at other times of the year. Juveniles have some brown mottling on the back that is lost during the first autumn moult, while the diffuse brown cap is retained for longer. The bill is orange and smaller than adults at first. The legs and feet may be dull orange or black. The flight of Caspian terns is direct, with purposeful shallow beats.
Caspian terns are very widely distributed around the world. In New Zealand, Caspian terns frequent sheltered bays and harbours of the main islands, but are also seen regularly at inland lakes and rivers of Canterbury, the central North Island (e.g. Lake Taupo and Rotorua) and Waikato (e.g. Lake Ngaroto and Lake Whakamaru on the Waikato River).
Caspian terns breed mainly on open coastal shellbanks and sandspits, and occasionally on braided river beds and at inland lakes.
Although widespread, Caspian terns remain uncommon in New Zealand, with around 1300-1400 breeding pairs estimated.
They are susceptible to nest disturbance by people, their dogs, and off-road vehicles. Southern black-backed gulls and red-billed gulls may attack eggs and chicks following disturbance by people. Like other shore-nesting birds, chicks and eggs are vulnerable to predation by introduced mammalian predators such as cats, stoats and ferrets. (Source: www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz)
Taranui - Caspian tern - Caspian tern - Hydroprogne caspia
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Sternidae.
The taranui - Caspian tern - is a large distinctive gull-like tern of shallow coastal waters and, particularly outside of the breeding season, inland lakes and rivers throughout New Zealand. It is an attractive sleek species whose guttural call is often heard before the bird is seen.
It is the largest of all species of terns. With its 1 metre wingspan, it is similar in size to a black-backed gull. Caspian terns are silver-grey above and white below, with dark wing tips. The tail is relatively short and only slightly forked compared to other terns. The large bill is mostly bright red in adults, becoming dark near the tip, with the extreme tip yellowish (only apparent at close range). Adults have black legs and a black cap to below the eye during the breeding season. The cap becomes speckled with white and less sharply delineated at other times of the year. Juveniles have some brown mottling on the back that is lost during the first autumn moult, while the diffuse brown cap is retained for longer. The bill is orange and smaller than adults at first. The legs and feet may be dull orange or black. The flight of Caspian terns is direct, with purposeful shallow beats.
Caspian terns are very widely distributed around the world. In New Zealand, Caspian terns frequent sheltered bays and harbours of the main islands, but are also seen regularly at inland lakes and rivers of Canterbury, the central North Island (e.g. Lake Taupo and Rotorua) and Waikato (e.g. Lake Ngaroto and Lake Whakamaru on the Waikato River).
Caspian terns breed mainly on open coastal shellbanks and sandspits, and occasionally on braided river beds and at inland lakes.
Although widespread, Caspian terns remain uncommon in New Zealand, with around 1300-1400 breeding pairs estimated.
They are susceptible to nest disturbance by people, their dogs, and off-road vehicles. Southern black-backed gulls and red-billed gulls may attack eggs and chicks following disturbance by people. Like other shore-nesting birds, chicks and eggs are vulnerable to predation by introduced mammalian predators such as cats, stoats and ferrets. (Source: www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz)