Great Crested Tern, 8/11/2012

The arrival of the Great Crested Terns in the summer is a feast to the birdwatching fans, since there ain't many migratory birds in summer here in Taiwan. There are estimated about 10 species of migrants in summer, as opposed to over 200 species in autumn through spring. The most common summer migrants include Barn Swallow, Great Crested Tern, Little Tern, Fairy Pitta, Himalayan Cuckoo, Oriental Pratincole, etc. They are the birds, except Taiwan local species, the birdwatching fans can only photograph in summer. So the birdwatching fans usually take pictures of insects and butterflies in summer, in addition to Taiwan local birds.

The pictures below are somewhat blurred since what I used to photograph is a compact digital camera. I apologize if it hurts your eye.

Chinese name:	鳳頭燕鷗
English name:	Great Crested Tern, Crested Tern, Greater Crested Tern, Swift Tern
Nickname:
Scientific name:	Sterna bergii
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Laridae
Species status:	Species
Conservation status:	Least Concern
Migration status:	migratory birds in Summer
Frequency of appearance:	common in some places of Taiwan
Foods:	fishes
Habitat:	Seashores, reefs, islands, fishing ports, river mouths, open water
Altitude:	Low altitudes
Behavior:	Often appear in flocks near seashores, reefs, islands, fishing ports, river mouths.
Characteristics:	General Characteristics: About 45 cm long. The upperpart is mostly grey. The underpart is mostly white. Bill is yellow. Feet are black. Head top is black, with a shaggy black crest which recedes in winter. Forehead, throat, neck, breast and belly are white. Wings and tail are grey. Summer plumage: Winter plumage: The front head is covered with thin white stripes. Similar species:
Breeding places:	Its range covers almost all ocean in between Southeast Asia, Taiwan, the Ryukyu Islands, Philipines, Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Indonesia, and the coastal area of Eastern Africa, Madagascar, Red Sea, Maale, Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Migration destinations:	Southeast Asia species summer in coastal areas of southern China, Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands. Indian sub-continent, Maldives and Sri Lanka species summer in Middle East, etc.
Time photographed:	8/5/2012, 8/11/2012
Location found:	YehLiu fishing port, New Taipei City
Sources:	Internet
Notes: