Great Crested Tern

1. Long, bright yellow bill and shaggy black crest (especially in breeding season)

2. Large tern with grey upperparts and white underparts

3. Juveniles show a scaly, mottled brown and white pattern on the back

Great Crested Terns are social birds, nesting in large, noisy colonies, sometimes with thousands of pairs. They feed mainly on small fish such as anchovies and sardines, caught by plunge-diving from several metres above the water. They breed between September-April, varying depending on region. Nesting occurs on open ground, where each pair creates a shallow scrape for a single egg. Both parents share incubation duties and care for the chick, which is fed high-quality fish. The chicks remain dependent on adults for food for several months after fledging`.`

Great Crested Terns are found all around the Australian coastline and throughout the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. They inhabit sandy beaches, estuaries, lagoons, and offshore islands, often forming large flocks with other seabirds. They nest in dense colonies on low-lying sandy, rocky, or coral islands, and can be seen roosting on sandbars, rocks, and even man-made structures near the sea. These terns are also known to follow fishing boats for discarded fish and can be spotted resting on buoys or foraging far out at sea.