| Chinese crested tern | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A Chinese crested tern among greater crested terns | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Thalasseus |
| Species: | T. bernsteini |
| Binomial name | |
| Thalasseus bernsteini (Schlegel, 1863) | |
| Synonyms | |
Sterna bernsteiniSchlegel, 1863 | |
The Chinese crested tern (Thalasseus bernsteini) is a tern in the family Laridae. It is the county bird of Lienchiang County, Fuchien.
It is closely related to the Sandwich tern, T. sandvicensis, and the lesser crested tern, T. bengalensis. It is most similar to the former, differing only in the bill pattern, which is the reverse of the Sandwich tern's, being yellow with a black tip. From the lesser crested tern, which it overlaps in wintering distribution, it can be told by the white rump and paler grey mantle, as well as the black tip to the bill, which seen from up close also has a white point. The larger greater crested tern is also similar, differing in its stouter, all-yellow bill and darker grey mantle and rump, as well as in size.
It is a critically endangered species, and previously thought extinct. Only four pairs were rediscovered in 2000 nesting in a greater crested tern colony on an islet in the Matsu Islands (a territory governed by Taiwan), just off the coast of Fujian Province, China, and wintering south to the Philippines. In the past, it had a wider distribution of the Chinese east coast north to Shandong Province. The decline is thought to be due to past hunting and egg collection for food. This colony may have been protected due to the islands' disputed status (administered by the Taiwanese government but claimed by mainland China), and the military sensitivity of the area, which has restricted access. The islet has now been declared a wildlife sanctuary. It is possible that other small colonies may yet be found off the Chinese and Taiwanese coasts; migrant birds have been seen near the mouth of the Pachang River in southern Taiwan. The total population is speculated to be less than 50 birds.
In 2007, it was estimated that the Chinese crested tern would be extinct in five years if authorities would not protect it. BirdLife International of Cambridge, England, stated that a survey of Chinese experts found that the number of crested terns fell to 50 birds, half the population of 2004. A Chinese survey team led by Chen Shuihua stated that the bird was "on the verge of extinction." [2]
It is currently threatened by illegal egg collection, typhoons, and disturbance of nesting colonies by fishermen. There is also a threat of hybridization with the greater crested tern. [3]
In 2016, for the first time, Chinese crested terns were found breeding in South Korea. Setting up a new colony in such a faraway area would prove a boon for the species. [4]
This “bird of legend's” first recorded sighting in the Philippines was in 1886 and then in 1905 (the year Daniel Burnham made the City Beautiful masterplan) in Manila Bay. In 1937, it came back, again spotted in March 2018, and along the coastal wetlands of Panabo, Davao del Norte in November 2019 with other migratory birds. It was found along the shores of Lingayen Gulf in August 2021 with other rare visitors in the area including the Aleutian tern (Onychoprion aleuticus), Greater scaup (Aythya marila), and Lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) and Slaty-backed gull (Larus schistisagus). [5] [6]
Three birds were spotted at the mouth of Davao River in 2022 during the Annual Asian Waterfowl Census for migratory birds. [7]
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Philippines) said at least 3 birds were seen in Panabo City and Carmen, Davao del Norte and in Bucana, Talomo District, Davao City with other migratory birds such as Eurasian curlew and Far Eastern curlew in January 2023. [8] The 'Bulacan bird' was spotted in December 2023 along the sandbar that straddles the boundary between Santa Cruz, Paombong, and Pamarawan Island in Malolos (northwest of New Manila International Airport). [9]
The Sandwich tern is a tern in the family Laridae. It is very closely related to the lesser crested tern, Chinese crested tern, Cabot's tern, and elegant tern and has been known to interbreed with both elegant and lesser crested. It breeds in the Palearctic from Europe to the Caspian Sea and winters in South Africa, India, and Sri Lanka.
The lesser crested tern is a tern in the family Laridae.
The greater crested tern, also called crested tern, swift tern, or great crested tern, is a tern in the family Laridae that nests in dense colonies on coastlines and islands in the tropical and subtropical Old World. Its five subspecies breed in the area from South Africa around the Indian Ocean to the central Pacific and Australia, all populations dispersing widely from the breeding range after nesting. This large tern is closely related to the royal and lesser crested terns, but can be distinguished by its size and bill colour.
Orange-billed tern is a name applied to a group of three large terns in the genus Thalasseus with orange bills, which are quite similar in appearance and often considered difficult to identify, namely:
Ladakh is the home to endemic Himalayan wildlife, such as the bharal, yak, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan wolf and the iconic snow leopard. Hemis National Park, Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, and Karakorum Wildlife Sanctuary are protected wildlife areas of Ladakh. The Mountain Institute, the Ladakh Ecological Development Group and the Snow Leopard Conservancy work on ecotourism in rural Ladakh. For such an elevated, arid area, Ladakh has great diversity of birds — 318 species have been recorded. Many of these birds reside at or seasonally breed in high-altitude wetlands, such as Tso Moriri, or near rivers and water sources.
The Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve is a national nature reserve near the village of Dawlish Warren in south Devon, England. It is part of the Exe Estuary Special Protection Area, and sits on a sand spit which runs across the mouth of the estuary. It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest and part of it is a local nature reserve.
This is a list of the fauna of Finland. Finland borders Sweden to the west, Russia to the east, and Norway to the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland, allowing an ecological mix. Finland contains many species of mammals, birds, and fish, but only a few reptiles and amphibians. This article discusses all the vertebrate animals which can be found on Finland itself, not the oceans.
Housing more than 200 resident and wintering bird species, Chennai has long been a haven for bird watchers. It is one of the few urban areas in India with diverse range of birds including greater flamingo, black baza, osprey, Indian eagle-owl, Coppersmith barbet, Spot billed pelican and pied avocet can be seen. The following are some known birding hotspots in and around Chennai.
