Thalasseus bengalensis
The Lesser Crested Tern (*Thalasseus bengalensis*) is a vibrant, medium-sized seabird, typically measuring 33-38 cm in length with a wingspan of 65-69 cm and weighing around 180-220 grams. Its striking appearance includes pale grey upperparts, pristine white underparts, and a prominent shaggy black crest extending from the crown to the nape, which becomes less distinct in non-breeding plumage where the forecrown is whiter. A key identification mark is its bright yellow to orange-yellow pointe...
Primarily a coastal species, found along sandy beaches, lagoons, estuaries, and rocky offshore islets, often associated with coral reefs in tropical and subtropical regions. It breeds exclusively at sea level.
The diet consists predominantly of small schooling fish such as sardines, anchovies, and sprats, caught by plunge-diving into the water. Occasionally, they supplement this with crustaceans and other small marine invertebrates.
Lesser Crested Terns are highly diurnal, spending their days actively foraging over shallow coastal waters and returning to communal roosts on sandbars, beaches, or rocky outcrops overnight. Their primary foraging strategy involves spectacular plunge-diving from heights of 5-10 meters to snatch f...
The Lesser Crested Tern boasts an extensive Old World distribution, with three recognized subspecies inhabiting specific regions. The nominate subspecies, *T. b. bengalensis*, breeds along the coasts of the Indian Ocean from East Africa to Southeast Asia, extending to northern Australia, winterin...
Least Concern
- The Lesser Crested Tern's bill color can vary from a bright yellow to a deep orange-yellow, often being more intense in breeding adults. - They are highly social, frequently nesting in vast colonies that can number in the tens of thousands, sometimes alongside other tern species like the Greate...