White Fronted Tern

Scientific Name Sterna striata

Native Yes

Family Laridae

Common Weight 160 Grams

Common Height 17 CM

Common Length 35 CM

Identification

The white-fronted tern is a medium-sized, long-tailed sea tern that is common around New Zealand coasts. Spotted congregating on Waiheke wharfs such as Matiatia and Orapiu.

The white-fronted tern is the most common tern on the New Zealand coastline, at times occurring in flocks of many hundreds or even thousands of birds.

The name ‘white-fronted’ refers to the ‘frons’ or forehead, where a thin strip of white separates the black cap from the black bill.

It is pale grey above and white below, with a black cap that is separated from the bill by a white band (or by an entirely white fore-crown in non-breeding plumage). The tail is white and forked; the length of the tail and depth of the fork decrease in size outside of the breeding season. The outer edge of the first primary has a narrow black or brownish-black band.

In the breeding season, the black cap extends from the white frontal strip down to the back of neck, and both sexes may develop a pink flush to the underparts. Outside of the breeding season the cap recedes, leaving the forehead white. The eyelids, eyes and bill are black, and the legs vary from black to dull red-brown. Sexes are similar but females are slightly smaller. Immature birds are similar to non-breeding adults. They have the black nape streaked with white and the wing coverts and distinctive light brown mottling. Recently fledged birds have fine blackish barring (striations) over the back and wing coverts.

Their main call is a high-pitched siet; a harsh keark or keeahk is uttered by birds defending their nests.

Most of the terns remain in New Zealand during the winter, but in autumn some white-fronted terns, mostly immatures, disperse to south-eastern Australia.

Waiheke Wildlife

Pied Shag

This large black-and-white shag is often seen individually or in a group, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around fisherman by the rocks of Waiheke.

Little Shag

The little shag is a small shag, with a short yellow bill, black feet, a relatively long tail, usually spotted in the ocean searching for food or hanging around Waiheke…

Red Billed Gull

The red-billed gull also known as a "Seagull" is common around New Zealand Coasts. Located everywhere on Waiheke beaches where food or bait is readily accessible.

Bar-tailed Godwit

The Godwit is a migrant from Alaska, they fly 8-9 days straight to arrive in NZ. They can be found on Waiheke from September - March located at Blackpool.

Common Myna

Mynas are stocky brown birds with a shiny black head and shoulders. Commonly found on road sides on Waiheke, usually playing chicken with cars while foraging for food.

Tui

The Tui is a iridescent blue-green honeyeater with two curled white feather tufts on the throat. Locations found on Waiheke are around flaxes feeding off nectar.

White Faced Heron

The white-faced heron is a tall, elegant, blue-grey bird usually spotted stalking prey. Locations found on Waiheke are Mangroves, Anzac bay and quiet beaches.

Spur-winged Plover

The Spur-winged plover is a large stocky wader with a yellow bill and spurs on each wing, locations found on Waiheke are Blackpool, Maori hill and Whakanewha.

Magpie

The Magpie is a large black-and-white songbird, It was introduced from Australia. It can be found on Waiheke around farmland and large grass reserves.

Great black-backed gull

The Black-backed gull is a large black-and-white gull with a white head and underparts, black back, yellow bill with a red spot near the tip. Located on Waiheke beaches.

The white-fronted tern is a medium-sized, long-tailed sea tern commonly around New Zealand coasts. Spotted congregating on Waiheke wharfs such as Matiatia and Orapiu.

Fantail

The Fantail is a well known NZ bird due to its distinctive fanned tail. Locations found on Waiheke are any well-treed parks, bush walks and even properties.

Black Bird

The black bird is a medium-sized songbird that is entirely black in adult males with a yellow bill. Abundantly found on Waiheke around household properties and trees.

Sacred Kingfisher

The sacred kingfisher is a distinctive bird with a green-blue back, buff to yellow undersides and a large black bill. they can be found nearby tidal beaches on waiheke.

Wood Pigeon

The Wood pigeon is a large distinctively-coloured pigeon, it is easy to find on Waiheke due to its size, they are usually perched on powerlines or trees.

Grey Warbler

The Grey Warbler is a tiny olive-grey song bird often heard before seen. Locations on Waiheke are dense woody vegetations. The warbler can be difficult to spot.

NZ Dotterel

The New Zealand Dotterel is a shorebird which breeds on beaches in NZ's North Island. Locations found on Waiheke are Whakanewha, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

White-Eye

A small songbird, immediately recognisable by its distinctive white eye-ring. This quick little bird can be found feeding off flax and kowhais or fruit trees on Waiheke.

Pūkeko

The Pukeko is a large relatively compact rail with a deep blue-violet head, breast and throat and a red bill. Found in swamp/Mangrove areas of Waiheke Island.

Australasian Gannet

The gannet is a large slender-bodied seabird with mainly white plumage, buff-yellow head and neck. Occassionally seen around Waiheke searching for food in ocean depths.

Kaka

The Kaka is a large, olive-brown parrot with grey-white crown, red-orange underwing and deep crimson belly, located in tree covered areas around Onetangi.

Thrush

The thrush is a medium-sized songbird with a speckled brown-on-cream breast, usually heard before it is seen, found in grass reserves, gardens and trees on Waiheke.

Welcome Swallow

Welcome swallows are small fast-flying birds, they are usually seen around waiheke during breeding season between August and February on powerlines, fences and beaches.

Pied Stilt

The pied stilt is a dainty wading bird, It is common at wetlands and coastal areas, found on Waiheke at Putiki Bay, Anzac Bay and Blackpool.

Spotted Turtle Dove

The spotted dove is a medium-sized, long-tailed dove, with a greyish head and speckled greyish brown upperparts. Found on Waiheke around gardens and the rooster reserve.

Variable Oyster Catcher

The variable oystercatcher is a stocky coastal bird with a long, bright orange bill, it is located on many quiet beaches such as Blackpool, Whakanewha and Anzac bay.

Breeding

Breeding usually occurs in large dense colonies on shingle river beds, sand dunes, stacks and cliffs.

Breeding season is around October- January.

Pair-bonds are retained from one season to the next. Before laying, the male courtship-feeds the female, presenting small fish to her.

Sometimes a site will be used in successive seasons, but usually the birds change sites in successive years even if they were successful at a specific site the previous season.

Terns tend to arrive at a prospective nesting location only a few days before laying, and there is a high degree of synchronisation of laying within a colony.

The 1-3 (usually 1) eggs are laid in a slight depression on the bare ground without any nesting material. Often small stones are brought in to line the bottom of the nest.

Predators or humans entering a colony are repeatedly dived at.

Food

White-fronted terns feed on small and larval fish at sea.

At sea it frequently feeds in shoaling fish swarms associated with kahawai, gulls and shearwaters. Feeding terns dive from 5-10 m above the surface. The forked tail enables the bird to manoeuvre extremely well, which is an advantage in foraging for small fish.

Waiheke Locations

Matiatia Pier – Spotted flocking on the piers of Matiatia near ferry terminals.

Orapiu Wharf – spotted and photographed a small flock on a small nearby pier taking turns catching food and returning.

The White fronted Tern are flying birds so they can really be anywhere on Waiheke but not just Waiheke they are all over New Zealand, these are just areas I’ve spotted them and photographed.