Fascinating Sooty Terns on Eastern Island and Spit Island (00004813)

Description: The Sooty Tern, also known as Sterna fuscata or Sooty Tern, is a fascinating seabird species that nests on Eastern Island and Spit Island. With around 50,000 breeding pairs, they form large colonies there. The females lay their eggs either in the sand or on the hard surfaces of the runways left over from World War II. After the young birds fledge, they spend up to three years continuously at sea, resting only on driftwood or sleeping sea turtles. Sooty Terns are skilled hunters and have adapted perfectly to life on the open ocean.

Location: Hawaiian Islands, Midway, USA

Date of Capture: 16.07.2001