Fascinating Flying Sooty Tern soaring over the Hawaiian Islands (00004792)

Description: The Sooty Tern, also known as Sterna fuscata oahuensis, is a fascinating seabird native to the Hawaiian Islands. With a colony of approximately 50,000 pairs, this species nests on Eastern and Spit Island. The female lays its single egg either in the sand or on the hard surface of Eastern Island's runway. Even after the young birds have fledged, they spend up to three years continuously at sea, only interrupted by brief rests on driftwood or sleeping sea turtles at the ocean's surface. Sooty Terns are skilled hunters and a captivating subject for nature photographers.

Location: Hawaiian Islands, Midway, USA

Date of Capture: 16.07.2001