Greater Crested Tern Nesting in Farquhar Atoll

Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii with egg on Bancs du Sable January 2018. Photo Tom Collier

​Whose Egg Is That?  You guessed it – a Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii stands guard by its egg on Bancs du Sable of the Farquhar Atoll in the Outer Islands of Seychelles.

​Greater Crested Terns prefer offshore islands for nesting, where they choose a flat open site to create a shallow scrape in bare sand, rock or coral.  .  A single egg (very occasionally two) is incubated for 25 – 30 days. Chicks fledge at 30 – 40 days but remain dependent on their parents until 4 months. 

Foraging generally in the shallow waters of lagoons, coral reefs, estuaries, bays and inlets within 3km of their breeding site, they feed predominantly on pelagic fish, supplemented by cephalopods, crustaceans, and opportunistically for insects and even sea turtle hatchlings.  No wonder this one has chosen pristine and biodiverse Farquhar.

​The last confirmed breeding at this location was in 2000, so we are very encouraged by this fresh siting by the ICS Conservation Team.  Stay tuned!