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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 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 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 Arabia, Lesser Crested Terns, nominate race "bengalensis", are found mostly along the coastlines of the Red Sea and of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. They nest colonially on rocky shores or islands off the coast. Along the eastern coastline they are seen mostly on passage.

Lesser Crested Terns are a coastal species. For breeding they have a preference for rocky terrain, often on offshore islands. Outside the breeding season they are often seen resting on sandy beaches.

Race "bengalensis"

Race "torresii"