White-fronted tern

Status:  Declining (click to see what this means)

White-fronted tern guarding nest, Waimakariri River

Braided River Status

The white-fronted tern is occasionally seen foraging up Canterbury rivers. It is more commonly seen around the coastline and coastal estuaries throughout New Zealand, nesting in large dense colonies on shingle river beds, sand dunes, stacks and cliffs (distribution map). 

Recent observations

Hover your cursor over thumbnails below to see the latest observations (newest left). Click on thumbnails for more information including the location (opens in the NatureWatchNZ website).

Description

The white-fronted tern (Sterna striata) tara ((Māori), the most common tern in New Zealand including outlying islands, measures 42cm and weighs 160gm, which is about 50% larger than the endemic black-fronted tern.  Some birds, mostly immature, winter along the east coast of Australia.

Plumage

Pale grey above and white below, with a long white forked-tail, a black cap separated from the long pointed black bill by a white band, and a narrow dark band on the outer edge of the first primary. Breeding adults have a black cap that extends from the white frontal strip down to the back of neck; non-breeding adults have a reduced cap leaving the forehead white. The bill is dark brown-black and legs are dark red-brown/black.

White-fronted tern with juvenile

Conservation activities

• Like the black-fronted tern and black-billed gull, the white-fronted tern is a long-lived bird,  so while it is classified as declining (see here for what this means), the rate of decline and juvenile recruitment into the breeding population is unknown. They have been known to nest with black-billed gulls and red-billed gulls (Lake Ellesmere, near Christchurch in 2015). 
• See threats. While no species-specific conservation projects are currently underway, conservation activities to protect black-billed gulls such as predator trapping, and also dune, coastal estuary and coastal wetland restoration and protection is also likely to benefit white-fronted terns
• Canterbury Pest Management Strategy
• DOC 200 traps for sale (fundraiser for Ashley-Rakahuri Rivercare Group)
• Predator trap instructions for DOC 150, 200 and 250 traps (for ferrets, stoats, rats, and hedgehogs)

More information

• NZ Birds online (includes photos, sounds)
• Birdlife International (includes Google distribution map)
• NatureWatchNZ
• NZ Birds

White-fronted terns courting