Gygis alba
Gygis alba, commonly known as the White Tern, Fairy Tern, or Angel Tern, is a remarkably graceful, small tern belonging to the family Laridae, specifically the subfamily Sterninae. It is distinguished by its entirely pure white plumage, contrasting with piercing black eyes ringed by a narrow black orbital, and a sharp, slender black bill, often tipped with blue. Measuring 28-33 cm in length with a wingspan of 66-77 cm and weighing 90-140 grams, its ethereal appearance makes it unmistakable in...
Exclusively found on remote oceanic islands and coastal atolls within tropical and subtropical zones, typically at sea level or very low elevations. It requires trees, cliff ledges, or suitable structures for its unique nestless breeding.
Primarily piscivorous, feeding on small fish (e.g., anchovies, sardines, goatfish) caught near the surface, occasionally consuming squid and small crustaceans. Forages by aerial plunge-diving and surface-dipping.
Highly diurnal, Atlantic White Terns spend their days gracefully patrolling coastal waters and open oceans, returning to island roosts on tree branches or cliff ledges at night. Their foraging strategy involves spectacular aerial plunge-diving and surface-dipping, often hovering elegantly above t...
The Atlantic White Tern (*Gygis alba alba*) boasts a widespread but disjunct circumtropical distribution, predominantly across the remote islands of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. In the Atlantic, its breeding strongholds include isolated oceanic islands such as Ascension Island, St. H...
Least Concern
- This species is often referred to as the 'Fairy Tern' or 'Angel Tern' due to its ethereal, pure white plumage. - It lays a single egg directly on a bare tree branch, rock crevice, or even an artificial structure, defying gravity without building a nest. - The eggs are often speckled to provide ...