The crested tern has a quirky black cap and crest, a long, pointed yellow beak, white neck, and slender grey wings and back.

Where

A real beach lover! You’ll see the tern along any beach at Booderee, gracefully wheeling in the air, diving for food or standing on the shore.

Feeding

Crested terns feed mainly on small fish but also occasionally take prawns and squid. You’ll often see them ‘skimming’ the water with fish in their bills possibly cleaning them - or look for them stealing food from other crested terns. Anglers often look for flocks of feeding terns to locate shoals of fish.

Breeding

A scraped area of sand is home to one or two eggs. Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the young in small, tightly knit, noisy colonies.

Sounds

Most common calls are a raspy kirrick or krrow.