Fascinating Sight: Sooty Tern in its natural habitat (00004798)
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Description: The Sooty Tern, also known as Sterna fuscata oahuensis, is a fascinating seabird that nests in colonies on Eastern and Spit Island. With about 50,000 pairs, it is a majestic sight. The female lays a single egg on the sand or the hard runway surface of Eastern Island. These birds stay continuously on the sea for up to three years after fledging. Their only resting option is driftwood or sleeping sea turtles on the sea surface. Sooty Terns are skilled hunters and an asset to the marine environment.
Location: Hawaiian Islands, Midway, USA
Date of Capture: 16.07.2001