Search

Greater Crested Terns at Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia

YC Wee
on 12th January 2019
Colony of Greater Crested Terns

The Greater Crested Terns (Thalasseus bergii) is the second largest Australian tern, the largest being the Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia). It is a coastal bird and Nobbies in Phillips Island has one of the largest breeding colony in Victoria, Australia.

Adult with fledgling…

These large terns are distinguished by their shaggy black crest. They roost on the ground close to one another. During the day the hunt for fish by plunge-diving into the water, spearing the fish in the process – see video below.

The video below shows an adult with a fledgling that was attempting to swallow a fish clamped between its mandibles. The fledgling failed a few times before it dropped it into the water. It successfully retrieved it, washed it, before finally swallowing it.

The above was documented in the colony at Nobbies, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia in November 2015.

Teo Lee Wei & K
Singapore
29th December 2018

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

Singapore-Nature: 17. Citizen Science

30th August 2023

Singapore-Nature: 16. Living close to nature

18th August 2023

Singapore’s secret “garden”

20th July 2023

Singapore-Nature: 15. Looking versus studying birds

12th July 2023

Singapore Nature: 14. Accolades

6th July 2023

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Comments
Categories
Archives
Links

Overall visits (since 2005)

Live visitors
1348
222
Visitors Today
50489824
Total
Visitors

Clustrmaps (since 2016)

Site Announcements

Welcome to our new home: besgroup.org

Thanks to your continued support in making the website one of the top bird behaviour blogs around, we now have a dedicated domain.

Any views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

© 2023 Bird Ecology Study Group
Facebook