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Fairy Terns are small terns. While in Australia, they are usually found in their breeding plumage. They have a white front, from frons and lores all the way down to the undertail coverts, a white neck and a grey back (mantle, wings and tail). They have black feathers around the eyes that connect to the black cap. Also the nape of the neck is black. Early in the breeding season, the front of the cap is mottled white and grey, while the rest of the cap remains black. The yellow bill has a black tip early in the season. Later in the breeding season, the entire cap - including the front - is solid black. Late in the season the bill is bright yellow and has no black tip. The eyes have dark irises; the legs and feet are yellow-orange. Juvenile Fairy Terns also have a white front, but their back is mottled white and grey. The flight feathers are grey, with lighter-grey edge lining. The cap is dark-grey, with mottled grey and white at the front. The bill is dark-grey and the legs and feet are dark greyish-yellow.

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Fairy Tern is available HERE .

Fairy Terns populate the Southern Ocean around southern Australia, including Tasmania, and New Zealand's North Island. There are also reports of Fairy Terns from the Solomon Islands.

Around Australia, Tasmania and other, smaller offshoreislands, nominate race "nereis" is found. They populate the entire coastline from about the NSW/VIC border in the East, around the South coast, to the North-west coast of WA, where their exact distribution is uncertain.

Fairy Terns are found above coastal waters, on or near the coastline and some near-coastal lakes. They breed on sandy beaches and land spits.

Race "nereis"