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Bridled TernAlternate name(s): "Brown-winged Tern", "Dog Tern" Size: 30-32 cm; wing span ca. 75-80 cm Weight: 95-150 g |
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Similar |
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Photos |
Race "anaethetus"
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ADULT |
Sex unknown |
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BREEDING |
Close-up full-frontal view of a Bridled Tern in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Stokes Hill Wharf, Darwin, NT, March 2023]
Close-up near-lateral portrait of a Bridled Tern in breeding
plumage;
note that, characteristically, the upperparts (wings/back) are a lighter
shade of grey than the cap and that the white supercilium
extends well behind the eye
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, March 2016]
Near-lateral view of a Bridled Tern in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lady Musgrave Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, September 2017]
Close-up lateral view of a Bridled Tern in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, March 2016]
Close-up lateral view of a Bridled Tern in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]
Lateral view of a Bridled Tern in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of H. Mouritsen)
[One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, QLD, January 2011]
Close-up near-dorsal view of a Bridled Tern in breeding
plumage
(photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, October 2022]
A flock of Bridled Terns have declared this jetty their roost
(photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, March 2016]
Lateral view of a Bridled Tern in breeding
plumage in flight
(photo courtesy of H. Mouritsen)
[One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, QLD, January 2011]
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral view of an adult Bridled Tern (left) with a juvenile in tow
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliott Island, QLD, January 2006]
Lateral view of a juvenile Bridled Tern
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliott Island, QLD, January 2006]
Bridled Tern with chick
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]
Bridled Tern chick
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]
Race "antarcticus"
Photos of race "antarcticus" were taken by us in Oman.
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Sep - Dec | Eggs: 1 - 3 | Incubation period: 28 - 30 days | Fledging age: ca. 15 days |
The breeding period listed above applied to most locations. In the Kimberley region they also breed during a second breeding season, from about April to June. In principle, Bridled Terns can breed any time of the year. They usually have 2 eggs.
Nest building: ? | Incubation: Female & male | Dependent care: Female & male |
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Scrape | Material: Sand, stones | Height above ground: N/A |
Bridled Terns lay their eggs near the high-tide line, often near shrubs or other disguising/sheltering objects.
Bridled Tern nest with a single dark-morphology egg in it
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliott Island, QLD, January 2006]
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 56 x 32 mm | Colour: Brownish, with darker streaks/speckles | Shape: Tapered oval |
Bridled Terns can also have lighter, more creamy-coloured, eggs with mid- to dark-brown speckles.
Dark-morphology Bridled Tern egg in a sandy/rocky scrape
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliott Island, QLD, January 2006]
Light-morphology Bridled Tern egg in a sandy scrape
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, March 2016]
The owner of the Bridled Tern egg shown above
(photo courtesy of
V. Collins)
[Penguin Island, near Rockingham, WA, March 2016]
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Behaviour |
Bridled Terns have a very elaborate courtship ritual, during which the birds dance, click bills and pass food.
Bridled Terns performing their courtship dance
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]
Bridled Terns performing their courtship dance (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]
Lateral view of two Bridled Terns squaring up to each other
(photo courtesy of H. Mouritsen)
[One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, QLD, January 2011]
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Food, Diet |
Like all terns, Bridled Terns feed on fish, which they catch with their bills just under the water surface in a steep high-speed dive from considerable height.
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Call(s)/Song |
For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own;
comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.
bridtrn_jg_20160306.m4a |
anaethetus (SW WA) |
? | © JG | |
bridtrn_jg_20160306_2.m4a |
anaethetus (SW WA) |
? | © JG |
More Bridled Tern sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.