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Bridled Tern

(Sterna anaethetus)
Size: 35-41 cm

Sightings

Bridled Terns were first spotted us off Ras Al-Sawadi, about 100 km west of Muscat, in May 2010. They are conspicuous even at a distance because of their long tails. A flock of about 10 birds was seen by us.

Photos

Bridled Tern in flight; note the prominent long tail and the brown upper parts

Different viewing angle and phase of the wing beat

Group of Bridled Terns

The birds were seen by us hunting off the seashore, near an island just a few hundred metres off-shore

Food

Like all terns, Bridled Terns feed on fish, which they catch with their bills just under the surface of water in a steep high-speed dive from considerable height.

These pages are largely based on our own observations. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.