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10

Lesser Crested Tern (Sterna [Thalasseus] bengalensis) Size: 35-43 cm; wing span 88-105 cm Body mass: 185-242 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.28-0.35

Australia: Family Group 10 Family Group 10 Table Brown Skua South Polar Skua Arctic Jaeger Pomarine Jaeger Long-tailed Jaeger Pacific Gull Kelp Gull Silver Gull Crested Tern Lesser Crested Tern Caspian Tern Australian Tern Gull-billed Tern White-fronted Tern Black-naped Tern Roseate Tern Antarctic Tern Arctic Tern Common Tern Little Tern Fairy Tern Whiskered Tern White-winged Black Tern Grey Ternlet White Tern Sooty Tern Bridled Tern Aleutian Tern Common Noddy Black Noddy Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Lesser Crested Terns are medium-sized terns. During the breeding season they have a black cap, white front (throat, neck, chest, belly and vent) and grey wings. The black eyes are surrounded by the black cap, while the frons (base of the bill) is white. The pointy, long bill is orange; the short legs and feet are black. In eclipse the front of the cap becomes white, the back part forms a mottled black-and-white nape of the neck. Juvenile birds are mottled grey, with a white cap and a black nape of the neck. Twitcher's tip Compared to Greater Crested Terns, the Lesser Crested Tern is smaller and has an orange bill (rather than greenish-yellow).

Taxonomy, classification See Lesser Crested Tern at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range 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 Lesser Crested Tern is available HERE . There are three races of Lesser Crested Terns, which are a partly migratory species. Nominate race "bengalensis" breeds along the coastline of the northern Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. This race spends the northern winters in southern Africa. Race "emigrata", which breeds on islands off the north-western coastline of Africa, spends the winters farther South, in West Africa. Race "torresii", which populates parts of Indonesia and coastal northern Australia (on both sides of the Torres Strait, hence the name), is sedentary. In Australia only race "torresii" is found. They migrate to the northern seaboard of Australia from the North. There they populate the coastline from about Carnarvon, WA, to the QLD/NSW border on the East coast. They are not found anywhere inland. Lesser Crested Terns can be found along the coastline, e.g. on beaches. They also venture out to sea, into coastal waters above the continental shelf and are found on several offshore islands.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "torresii" H. Mouritsen spotted Lesser Crested Terns, race "torresii", on One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, near Rockhampton, QLD, in January 2011. B. Hensen reports spotting Lesser Crested Terns, race "torresii", at Nightcliff, NT, in March 2013 and at Lee Point beach, Darwin, NT, in August 2013. We first spotted Lesser Crested Terns, race "torresii", at Lee Point beach, Darwin, NT, in August 2014. M. Eaton reports finding a Lesser Crested Tern, race "torresii", at Buffalo Creek beach, Darwin, NT, in August 2020, and at Airlie Beach, QLD, in July 2021. Race "bengalensis" Lesser Crested Terns, nominate race "bengalensis", were spotted by us in Oman.

Photos

Race "torresii"

ADULT

BREEDING

View of a Lesser Crested Tern in breeding plumage banking in-flight, thereby giving a good view of its upperwing pattern
(photo courtesy of H. Mouritsen)
[One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, QLD, January 2011]

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of a Lesser Crested Tern in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Airlie Beach, QLD, July 2021]

Lateral view of a Lesser Crested Tern, left, with a Greater Crested Tern, all in non-breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Airlie Beach, QLD, July 2021]

Near-lateral view of a Lesser Crested Tern, left, with two Greater Crested Terns, all in non-breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point beach, Darwin, NT, August 2013]

Lateral view of Lesser Crested Terns, front, with in the background a Greater Crested Tern, all in non-breeding plumage
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Lesser Crested Tern in non-breeding plumage (orange bill), flanked by Greater Crested Terns (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Nightcliff, NT, March 2013]

Two Lesser Crested Terns in non-breeding plumage, front, with orange bills, together with one juvenile (speckled plumage, partly hidden) and two adult Greater Crested Terns; also visible in this shot is an Eastern Curlew
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point beach, Darwin, NT, August 2013]

Lesser Crested Tern in non-breeding plumage seen in-flight from underneath, thereby giving a good view of its underwing pattern (photo courtesy of H. Mouritsen)
[One Tree Island, Capricornia Cays NP, QLD, January 2011]

Race "bengalensis"

Lesser Crested Terns, race "bengalensis", were photographed by us in Oman.

Behaviour

Food, Diet

Like all terns, Lesser Crested Terns feed on fish, which they catch with their bills just under the water surface in a steep high-speed dive from considerable height.

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.