Crested Tern, Murray River mouth
Crested Tern with a Black Swan in the background
The Crested Tern can be found right around the Australian coastline. In some cases it can also be found along waterways some distance inland. In the case of the bird in this photo, it was near the mouth of the Murray River in South Australia, only a few hundred metres from the coast.
Crested Terns can be found alone or in small groups but they range up to breeding colonies numbering in the thousands. While they prefer coastal habitats they can also be found along rivers, lakes, freshwater wetlands, estuaries, salt swamps, bays and inlets.
Crested Terns, Victor Harbor
Crested Terns, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Crested Terns are found in abundant numbers around the coast of Australia. They are one of our common terns and can gather in large numbers on beaches, islands, rocky outcrops, estuaries, tidal rivers and sometimes even some way inland along rivers.
They breed in large colonies, often on off shore islands. Their nest is a scrape in the sand or on rock.
In the photo above there is a single Australian Wood Duck perching on the rock on the far left hand side.
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Crested Terns, Victor Harbor, South Australia
Crested Terns, Victor Harbor, South Australia