Tours where you can spot this bird
No tours linked yet.
Kerguelen Tern
Sterna virgata Cabanis, 1875
Laridae — Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Kerguelen Tern, Sterna virgata, breeds on subantarctic islands in the Indian Ocean, including Crozet, Prince Edward and Kerguelen. It is a tern of the Southern Hemisphere and is mainly associated with the Kerguelen Islands, where it nests in colonies on islets rather than on Kerguelen proper. It avoids areas with feral cats. Smaller colonies also occur on the Prince Edward and Crozet Islands. In poor weather, colonies may be deserted. Two subspecies are recognised: S. v. mercuri on Crozet and Prince Edward Island, and S. v. virgata on Kerguelen Island.
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae — Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
- Breeding range
- Indian Ocean: subantarctic islands of w, c South Indian Ocean: Crozet, Prince Edward, and Kerguelen is.
