Fairy Tern
Sternula nereis
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusSternula (Small Terns)
- SpeciesSternula nereis (Fairy Tern)
About the Fairy Tern
The fairy tern (Sternula nereis) is a small tern which is native to the southwestern Pacific. It is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN and the New Zealand subspecies is critically endangered. Fairy terns live in colonies along the coastlines and estuaries of Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia, feeding largely on small, epipelagic schooling fishes, breeding in areas close to their feeding sites. They have a monogamous mating system, forming breeding pairs in which they mate, nest, and care for offspring.
There are three subspecies: Australian fairy tern, Sternula nereis nereis (Gould, 1843) – breeds in Australia New Caledonian fairy tern, Sternula nereis exsul (Mathews, 1912) – breeds in New Caledonia New Zealand fairy tern / Tara iti, Sternula nereis davisae (Mathews & Iredale, 1913) – breeds in northern New Zealand
The three subspecies are distinguished by geographical range, and slight morphological differences. Gene flow between subspecies is little to none. The fairy tern is a small tern with a white body and light bluish-grey wings. A small black patch extends no further than the eye and not as far as the bill. In the breeding plumage both the beak and the... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Fairy Tern in Wilsons Promontory National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Wilsons Promontory National Park
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Pacific Gull
Larus pacificus
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles
Sooty Oystercatcher
Haematopus fuliginosus
Pied Oystercatcher
Haematopus longirostris
Hooded Plover
Thinornis cucullatus
Red-necked Stint
Calidris ruficollis
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Fairy Tern in Wilsons Promontory National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Fairy Tern sighting in Wilsons Promontory National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Fairy Tern in Wilsons Promontory National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Fairy Tern in Wilsons Promontory National Park in our monthly data.