Seychelles mobbed by the world’s largest tern
Seychelles now boasts as the second oceanic breeding site of the world's largest tern, the Caspian tern, after the Aldabra Atoll breeding site.
The Cosmoledo Atoll breeding site became their new home and conservation officers told Seychelles News Agency that the availability of foraging habitat coupled with little to no permanent human activity at the site could account for the record number of breeding.
Island Conservation Society (ICS) officer Jake Letori said, “There is no permanent human habitation here, therefore, very little disturbance. They are able to nest in peace as they are very sensitive and skittish birds. Also, the Cosmoledo lagoon and outer reefs provide a perfect foraging habitat for them to catch small fish, as well as plenty of sandy beaches. We've seen them catch turtle hatchlings from the beach and the sea."
Letori further explained that, "it was an opportunistic sighting. The team went out to explore Menai, the largest island of the atoll, which is an island that was new to them. We always keep an eye and an ear out for birds, and we were mobbed by both adults, which led us to believe they might be nesting nearby. Upon settling on the ground, we were able to see their nesting location and confirm the presence of an egg. We took a photo and a GPS location then departed…so far we know of one pair on Grande Ile that potentially raised two young and we've seen a pair on Menai. We've never seen more than four at one time on Cosmoledo, usually sighted in pairs or singular."
Caspian terns exhibit a diverse breeding habitat selection, encompassing ocean coasts, barrier islands, interior lakes, and rivers. Similar to other terns, they establish their nesting colonies in flat, open areas with minimal vegetation, enabling them to detect predators from a considerable distance. These preferred nesting sites are typically characterized by sandy or pebbly terrain, occasionally featuring shells, debris, or scattered short plants, the report adds.
Caspian tern eggs stand out due to their larger size compared to eggs of other tern species nesting in Seychelles, such as the black-naped tern, the sooty tern, the brown noddy, and fairy terns. These eggs exhibit a pale colouration with speckled, mottled brown patterns, blending seamlessly with the ground. As they undergo incubation, they gradually acquire a faded appearance, taking on an earthy colour over time.
