The greater crested tern (Thalasseus bergii) is a species of seabird belonging to the family Laridae, which also includes gulls and skimmers. Also known by other names such as the great crested tern, swift tern, or simply the crested tern, this bird species has a synonymous scientific name, Sterna bergii, that has now been replaced by Thalasseus bergii. Currently, the species has five recognized subspecies distributed throughout its range.The birds of the Laridae family have a worldwide distribution, particularly near coastlines, rivers, seas, and wetlands. Most bird species in the family have a white and pale gray plumage, a long bill, narrow wings, a forked tail, and short legs. Terns, in particular, have a black cap on the head. Keeping true to the general physical characteristics of its family, the great crested tern is a large and elegant bird with a gray and white plumage, a long yellow bill, and a glossy black crest. These birds are abundant in tropical and subtropical coasts, with foraging areas located in estuaries, seas, along beaches, and in the shallow waters of barrier reefs and lagoons.The geographical range and distribution of this large tern species include the South African coastline, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula, Madagascar, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the islands in the western Indian ocean. While most populations of this species are more or less resident around their breeding areas, some have been reported to disperse away or within their breeding range post-nesting. The birds usually form dense nesting colonies, tend to be pretty vocal, and mainly feed on fish.Read on for more interesting facts about the swift tern with a yellow bill and shaggy black crest! For more relatable content, check out these least tern facts and white-rumped sandpiper facts for kids.
Fun Greater Crested Tern Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Fish, crabs, insects, squid, baby turtles
What do they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? 1-2 eggs
How much do they weigh? 11.3-14.1 oz (320-400 g)
How long are they? 16.9-20.9 in (43-53 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, white, yellow, black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Humans And Predators
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Coral Reefs, Rocky Offshore Islands
Locations Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Thalasseus
Class Aves
Family Laridae
Greater Crested Tern Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a greater crested tern?The great crested tern (Thalasseus bergii, synonym: Sterna bergii) is a species of seabird belonging to the family Laridae. It has five recognized subspecies spread throughout the natural distribution range.What class of animal does a greater crested tern belong to?The great crested terns belong to the class of birds, Aves. They fall within the family of seabirds that also includes the skimmers and gulls.How many greater crested terns are there in the world?The global population size of the greater crested terns was estimated to be around 150,000-1 million (Wetlands International 2006). However, a more recent estimate is unavailable.Where does a greater crested tern live?The great crested tern has an extensive global distribution, especially in the warm tropical and temperate coastal regions. The birds’ breeding range spans from the coasts of South Africa and Madagascar to the Arabian Peninsula, the Persian Gulf, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Breeding grounds also include several islands in the Indian ocean, such as Seychelles, Aldabra, Rodrigues, and the Chagos Archipelago. Bird colonies are also pretty abundant in many Pacific islands, including Tonga, Fiji, Kiribati, Tuamotus, and the Society Islands.It is common for almost all populations of the great crested tern to disperse after breeding. For instance, most adult birds that leave the colonies in the Western Cape Province and Namibia in South Africa usually travel east to the Indian Ocean coastline of southern Africa. While moving east is the general trend, some birds may also travel north along the western coast of Africa. Moreover, this bird species has also been reported to migrate to New Zealand, Hawaii, Jordan, North Korea, and Israel.The breeding nest of the tern is often located on low-lying rocky, sandy, or coral islands, with or without shelter. Outside the breeding season, the resting spots of the birds include rocks, buoys, and sandbars, open shores, harbor buildings, pilings, boats, and salt mounds in lagoons where they may share space with other terns and gulls. The birds normally occur at altitudes of 0-328 ft (0-100 m) above sea level.What is a greater crested tern’s habitat?The natural habitats of the great crested tern include coral reefs, rocky offshore islands, lagoons, estuaries, coastlines, sandy beaches, tidal flats, open seas, and shallow seas, preferably with submerged microalgae. The bird species and subspecies are also quite abundant in artificial ecosystems such as sewage works, saltpans, coastal aquaculture farms, and wastewater treatment ponds.Who do greater crested terns live with?Great crested terns nest in large dense colonies or smaller subcolonies. Such colonies or communal spaces are often shared with other seabird species. The colonies may include several thousand pairs of breeding adult terns, with the highest numbers reported to be 13,000-15,000 breeding pairs in northern Australia. The colony size depends on the abundance of fish prey.How long does a greater crested tern live?The oldest greater crested tern is reported to have lived for 22 years.How do they reproduce?Greater crested terns are colonial breeders, with the breeding season varying throughout their distribution range. The birds often share nesting areas with other seabirds, particularly some gull species.The male terns usually establish a small nesting area that is well protected from intruding males through aggressive retaliation. Female terns, however, are pretty passive towards aggressive males, which helps in establishing pairs. Courtship rituals often include behaviors like bowing, head raising, and exchanging fish between the partners. On average, a female tern lays about one to two eggs which are incubated for 25-30 days. Both the parents are involved in egg incubation. The newly hatched tern chicks can leave the nest when they are about two days old but remain dependent for food on their parents for up to four months.What is their conservation status?According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the great crested tern or swift tern is a species of Least Concern with a stable population trend.Greater Crested Tern Fun FactsWhat do greater crested terns look like?The breeding plumage of the great crested terns is quite distinctive. In breeding plumage, the birds have a dusky gray back and upper wings and a white forehead, throat, nape, and underparts. In addition, the birds have a glossy black and shaggy crest. In winter, the dark gray upper parts become paler, and the black cap recedes, becoming flecked with white. The yellow bill is long, with a pointed end. The birds have a forked tail and relatively short, black legs. Adult males and females are identical in appearance.The juvenile birds look quite different from the adult terns. The upper wings and upper parts are heavily mottled with brown, white, and gray with brownish tips on the crown feathers. Their feet are brownish-black, and the bill is not yellow but rather somewhat greenish. However, the head pattern of the juveniles is quite similar to the winter adults. Different races of the tern vary mainly in the color of the upper parts and the amount of white on the forehead.How cute are they?The greater crested tern is not particularly cute. However, their slender body, long yellow bill, and visually aesthetic plumage color render the birds an elegant look, especially in flight.How do they communicate?The greater crested tern is a vocal species with a loud, crow-like, and squawky territorial advertising call (‘kerrak’), especially when the birds are at their breeding grounds. Excited or anxious birds give out a ‘korrkorrkorr’ call, and birds in flight sound a hard ‘wep wep’.How big is a greater crested tern?The great crested tern measures about 16.9-20.9 in (43-53 cm) in length with a wingspan between 49.2-51.2 in (125-130 cm). It is almost 25% larger than the lesser crested tern with a bulkier body, heavier and longer head, and a relatively long bill.How fast can a greater crested tern move?The flight speed of the greater crested tern is not available. While foraging, these birds usually fly at about 118.1-236.2 in (3-6 m) above the water surface and are capable of contact-dipping and plunge-diving.How much does a greater crested tern weigh?A greater crested tern weighs about 11.3-14.1 oz (320-400 g).What are the male and female names of the species?Male and female terns do not have distinct names.What would you call a baby greater crested tern?A baby greater crested tern would be called a chick.What do they eat?The primary food of the greater crested terns consists of fish. Crabs, insects, squids, and baby turtles also often form a part of the bird’s diet.Are they dangerous?The greater crested tern is not known to be dangerous to humans. However, the male terns may tend to be aggressive towards other males intruding on nesting territories.Would they make a good pet?No, the greater crested tern would not make a good pet, primarily because it has specialized habitat and food requirements. Besides, fish-eating birds tend to have repulsive and pungent-smelling feces.Did you know…In 1823, the German naturalist Martin Lichtenstein originally described the greater crested tern as Sterna bergii. It was later moved to the genus Thalasseus.Among the five subspecies of the greater crested tern, Thalasseus bergii velox is the largest, darkest, and longest-billed. Thalasseus bergii enigma is the palest subspecies.Where does the greater crested tern nest?Their nesting sites are located in coral reefs, sandy beaches, salt pans, mudflats, and sometimes roofs of buildings. The nest is mostly a shallow scrape on rock, sand, or coral. The nesting territory is protected by both members of a breeding pair.Greater crested tern vs. lesser crested ternThe lesser crested tern (scientific name: Thalasseus bengalensis) is a medium-sized tern species found in the subtropical and tropical coasts around the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, southern Mediterranean, Australia, and the western Pacific. It has three recognized subspecies, including one near the Libyan Coast. The lesser crested tern is more or less similar to the greater crested tern in terms of physical appearance, except the former is smaller, with a less stout build, and has an orangish bill.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our laughing gull interesting facts and little auk fun facts for kids pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable seagull coloring pages.Main image by Mike Prince.Second image by Gopala Krishna A.
What type of animal is a greater crested tern?
The great crested tern (Thalasseus bergii, synonym: Sterna bergii) is a species of seabird belonging to the family Laridae. It has five recognized subspecies spread throughout the natural distribution range.
Fun Greater Crested Tern Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Fish, crabs, insects, squid, baby turtles
What do they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? 1-2 eggs
How much do they weigh? 11.3-14.1 oz (320-400 g)
How long are they? 16.9-20.9 in (43-53 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, white, yellow, black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Humans And Predators
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Coral Reefs, Rocky Offshore Islands
Locations Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Thalasseus
Class Aves
Family Laridae
Fun Greater Crested Tern Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Fish, crabs, insects, squid, baby turtles
What do they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? 1-2 eggs
How much do they weigh? 11.3-14.1 oz (320-400 g)
How long are they? 16.9-20.9 in (43-53 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, white, yellow, black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Humans And Predators
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Coral Reefs, Rocky Offshore Islands
Locations Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Thalasseus
Class Aves
Family Laridae
Fun Greater Crested Tern Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Fish, crabs, insects, squid, baby turtles
What do they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? 1-2 eggs
How much do they weigh? 11.3-14.1 oz (320-400 g)
How long are they? 16.9-20.9 in (43-53 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, white, yellow, black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Humans And Predators
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Coral Reefs, Rocky Offshore Islands
Locations Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Thalasseus
Class Aves
Family Laridae
Fun Greater Crested Tern Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Fish, crabs, insects, squid, baby turtles
What do they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? 1-2 eggs
How much do they weigh? 11.3-14.1 oz (320-400 g)
How long are they? 16.9-20.9 in (43-53 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, white, yellow, black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Humans And Predators
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Coral Reefs, Rocky Offshore Islands
Locations Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Thalasseus
Class Aves
Family Laridae
What do they prey on? Fish, crabs, insects, squid, baby turtles
What do they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? 1-2 eggs
How much do they weigh? 11.3-14.1 oz (320-400 g)
How long are they? 16.9-20.9 in (43-53 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, white, yellow, black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Humans And Predators
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Coral Reefs, Rocky Offshore Islands
Locations Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Thalasseus
Class Aves
Family Laridae
What do they prey on? Fish, crabs, insects, squid, baby turtles
What do they eat? Carnivores
Average litter size? 1-2 eggs
How much do they weigh? 11.3-14.1 oz (320-400 g)
How long are they? 16.9-20.9 in (43-53 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Gray, white, yellow, black
Skin Type Feathers
What were their main threats? Humans And Predators
What is their conservation status? Least Concern
What do they prey on?
Fish, crabs, insects, squid, baby turtles
What do they eat?
Carnivores
Average litter size?
1-2 eggs
How much do they weigh?
11.3-14.1 oz (320-400 g)
How long are they?
16.9-20.9 in (43-53 cm)
How tall are they?
N/A
What do they look like?
Gray, white, yellow, black
Skin Type
Feathers
What were their main threats?
Humans And Predators
What is their conservation status?
Least Concern
Where you’ll find them? Lagoons, Coral Reefs, Rocky Offshore Islands
Locations Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Thalasseus
Class Aves
Family Laridae
Where you’ll find them?
Lagoons, Coral Reefs, Rocky Offshore Islands
Locations
Southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, The Middle East
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Thalasseus
Kingdom
Animalia
Genus
Thalasseus
Class Aves
Family Laridae
