Tern, Tern, Tern
I became interested in Terns upon learning that the Arctic Tern flies roundtrip between the North and South Poles annually. The distance it covers in its average lifespan of 35 years is equivalent to flying to the moon and back three times. To see these birds I went to Iceland where they migrate and breed during the summer. On the golf course in Reykjavik, they mobbed me because I came too close to their nests. In Lake Myvatn, Iceland's premier birding spot, Arctic Terns made the most of twenty hours of summer sunshine by busily diving into the water for food and fattening themselves for the long journey south at summer's end.
Terns are birds of the Laridae family of birds that also includes Gulls and Skimmers. They are usually found near water: sea, coastlines, rivers and wetlands on all continents. There are forty species of Terns in the world. Most of them have a black head, light-grey upperparts, white underparts and a reddish bill. What they lack in colour they make up in grace and speed.
Bangladesh has nine species of Terns. Of these, probably the most common is the Whiskered Tern. A white bird with black head, it can be seen in most major rivers, large water bodies and along the coast. Our other common Tern is the larger River Tern, distinguished by its bright yellow-orange beak. If you travel by boat along any major river, you are likely to see it.
In Hail Haor on an autumn afternoon several years ago, I saw a festival of Whiskered Terns. A fishpond was half-drained. The shallow muddy water that remained held small fish and other marine animals, exposed to predators. A flock of Terns had shown up, diving into the water for fish. They were fast and athletic. They emerged upside down from their dive with fish in beak. Sometimes two flew over one another, almost touching. They made it all look easy and seemed to immensely enjoy the act of flying.
In Brazil, I saw Little Terns, Yellow-billed Terns and Large-billed Terns on sandbars on the mighty Paraguay River. One memorable moment came when a Tern caught a fish from the water and shot up into the sky to feed another Tern in-flight. They also chased and squabbled with each other in the sky. In Cancun Mexico I saw Royal Terns diving into the waters of the Caribbean, their bright orange beaks contrasting with the aquamarine colours of the water. And in Australia, I saw several Terns gang against a Gull which had just caught a fish in Michaelmas Cay off Cairns, repeating a scene I had witnessed in Nijhum Dwip.
Perhaps the most intriguing Tern – and one I have not seen – is the Inca Tern. Unlike the whitish plumage of most Terns, this one is dark grey except for white feathers on the face resembling a long moustache. It is seen in South America.
Terns are special to me for another reason. The first bird I ever photographed was (unbeknownst to me at the time) a Whiskered Tern while on a boat on the Meghna. This was in 1986, when I did not care much for birding, but I still recall the aggressive bird. Its energy and grace caught my attention and I caught it on black and white film.
So the next time you are on a river, on the coast or in a wetland, keep an eye out for these sleek and graceful creatures.
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