White Tern
Sir David Attenborough presents the widespread marine species, the white tern.
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Sir David Attenborough presents the widespread marine species, the white tern. Also known as fairy terns or angel terns, these are very slender, long-winged birds, brilliant white except for a black, slightly-upturned bill, dark eyes and very short blue-grey legs. In flight, their wings appear almost translucent. For such a delicate-looking bird, they have rather harsh calls. Unusually they lay their eggs on a bare branch. The female tern selects a small groove in the bark or on the leaf-stalks of palms where her single egg will be most secure. Here, on its tropical tightrope, the egg is safer from ground predators like rats and because there's no nesting material, there's less chance of parasites.
Producer : Andrew Dawes
Last on
White Tern (Gygis alba)
Webpage image courtesy of Dave Watts / naturepl.com.
NPL Ref Β© Dave Watts / naturepl.com.
Broadcasts
- New Year's Day 2015 05:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Wed 2 Dec 2015 05:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Fri 12 Oct 2018 05:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Thu 10 Sep 2020 05:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
- Tue 3 Jan 2023 05:58Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
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