Coomon tern

The Common tern  is distinguished by its black cap and its red beak and legs. Both sexes have the same appearance. Juvenile birds have only the shape and none of the adult colours (beak-legs), are brown in colour and will gradually acquire the adult appearance after months. Characteristic is its voice and its habit of calling frequently when in flight.

A cosmopolitan species found on all continents. Summer visitor in the northern hemisphere and winter visitor in the southern hemisphere. Birds of Europe winter on the coasts of central and southern Africa.

In Lesvos it nests in the two salt marshes of the Gulf of Kalloni, in estuaries and on islands (Tokmakia) on ground that may be sand, gravel or rocks. It is often seen fishing in coastal areas and harbours.

• It feeds mainly on fish (up to 15 cm!) that it catches by diving from high in the water, up to half a meter below its surface.
• It nests on the ground (sand, gravel or even rocks) never more than 100 metres from the water's edge.
• First to return in spring are the males who choose their territory and defend it vigorously. There they will invite the females.
• The male as he flirts with the female offers her fish that she has caught to coax her into choosing him; him and the area he has chosen for the nest.
• It can feed in areas with abundant food up to 20 km away from its nest.
• Parents train their young to fish when they start to fly and together they take test dives, often stopping just before touching the water or catching materials floating in the water such as plants and sticks for practice.