Fairy Tern

The fairy tern (Gygis alba), or white tern as it is known in other parts of the world, is a widespread species found all throughout the tropics. They are often seen in pairs, performing impressive aerial displays while courting.

Here in Seychelles, they breed all year round, and although small numbers breed successfully on islands with alien predators, predator-free islands such as Cousine provide a safe refuge for larger breeding populations. Cousine is home to approximately 800-1,000 breeding pairs at any one time.

They lay a single egg straight onto a branch, without making a nest, and feed their fluffy grey-brown chicks whole fresh fish, unlike many of Seychelles’ other nesting seabirds, which first swallow and then regurgitate food for their offspring; the adults can often be seen returning from the ocean with as many as six small fish lined up in their bills.