# Lesser crested tern > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Lesser_crested_tern > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Lesser_crested_tern.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_crested_tern > Source revision: 1343118338 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Species of bird}} {{Speciesbox | image = طائر الخرشنه - محميات جنوب البحر الاحمر.jpg | image_caption = Colony of ''T. b. bengalensis'' in the Red Sea off the Egyptian coast | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=''Thalasseus bengalensis'' |volume=2018 |article-number=e.T22694561A132560333 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22694561A132560333.en |access-date=19 November 2021}} | genus = Thalasseus | species = bengalensis | authority = ([Lesson](/source/Rene_Primevere_Lesson), 1831) | synonyms = ''Sterna bengalensis'' Lesson, 1831 }} The '''lesser crested tern''' ('''''Thalasseus bengalensis''''')Bridge, E. S.; Jones, A. W. & Baker, A. J. (2005). [http://www2.hawaii.edu/~khayes/Journal_Club/summer2006/Bridge_et_al_2005_MPE.pdf A phylogenetic framework for the terns (Sternini) inferred from mtDNA sequences: implications for taxonomy and plumage evolution] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060720204025/http://www2.hawaii.edu/~khayes/Journal_Club/summer2006/Bridge_et_al_2005_MPE.pdf |date=2006-07-20 }}. ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' '''35''': 459–469. is a [tern](/source/tern) in the family [Laridae](/source/Laridae). ==Etymology== The genus name is from [Ancient Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) ''Thalasseus'', "fisherman" from ''thalassa'', "sea". The specific ''bengalensis'' means "of [Bengal](/source/Bengal)", the [type locality](/source/Type_(biology)), historically referring to [Bangladesh](/source/Bangladesh) and part of [Northeast India](/source/Northeast_India).{{cite book | last= Jobling | first= James A | year= 2010| title= The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | url= https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling | publisher= Christopher Helm | location = London | isbn = 978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling/page/n69 69]–70, 383}} ==Distribution== It breeds in subtropical coastal parts of the world mainly from the [Red Sea](/source/Red_Sea) across the [Indian Ocean](/source/Indian_Ocean) to the western [Pacific](/source/Pacific), and [Australia](/source/Australia), with a significant population on the southern coast of the [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean) on two islands off the [Libya](/source/Libya)n coast. It is an occasional [vagrant](/source/Vagrancy_(biology)) to [Europe](/source/Europe),{{Refn|[France](/source/France), [Italy](/source/Italy), [Spain](/source/Spain) and the [United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom)|group=Note}} where it has been known to breed in pure and mixed (with [Sandwich tern](/source/Sandwich_tern)) pairs.{{Cite web |title=Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus Bengalensis Species Factsheet |url=https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/lesser-crested-tern-thalasseus-bengalensis |access-date=2025-12-24 |website=BirdLife DataZone |language=en}}{{Cite journal |last=Scarton |first=F |last2=Valle |first2=R |last3=Rusticali |date=2000 |title=New breeding site of Lesser Crested Tern in Italy |url=https://www.birdingveneto.eu/venezia/biblio/scarton_et_al_2000a.pdf |journal=British Birds |volume=93 |issue=9 |pages=448-451}}{{Cite web |title=Lesser Crested Tern |url=https://www.historicalrarebirds.info/u20/lesser-crested-tern |access-date=2025-12-24 |website=Historical Rare Birds |language=en-US}} The Australian birds are probably sedentary, but other populations are [migratory](/source/bird_migration), wintering south to [South Africa](/source/South_Africa). ==Subspecies== This bird has three geographical [subspecies](/source/subspecies), differing mainly in size and minor plumage details:{{cite web | title=Noddies, skimmers, gulls, terns, skuas, auks – IOC World Bird List | website=IOC World Bird List – Version 15.1 | url=https://www.worldbirdnames.org/new/bow/gulls/ | access-date=2025-09-11}}{{cite book | last=Hoyo | first=Josep del | last2=Elliott | first2=Andrew | last3=Sargatal | first3=Jordi | title=Handbook of the Birds of the World: Hoatzin to auks | publisher=Lynx edicions | publication-place=Barcelona | date=1992 | isbn=84-87334-20-2 | volume=3 | page=646 }} * ''T. b. emigratus'' ([Neumann](/source/Oscar_Neumann), 1934): breeding in the [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean) on islands off the coast of [Libya](/source/Libya), wintering [West Africa](/source/West_Africa). Pale grey above (only marginally darker than [Sandwich tern](/source/Sandwich_tern)); slightly larger. * ''T. b. bengalensis'' ([Lesson](/source/Rene_Primevere_Lesson), 1831): northern [Indian Ocean](/source/Indian_Ocean) including the [Red Sea](/source/Red_Sea) and the [Persian Gulf](/source/Persian_Gulf), wintering to [South Africa](/source/South_Africa). Medium-dark grey above; slightly smaller. * ''T. b. torresii'' ([Gould](/source/John_Gould), 1843): [Indonesia](/source/Indonesia) south to [Queensland](/source/Queensland), [Australia](/source/Australia), wintering in the same area (birds breeding in the Persian Gulf were formerly also sometimes cited as this subspecies). Dark grey above; slightly larger. Thalasseus bengalensis, Foundiougne, Sénégal 2.jpg|''T. b. emigratus'', Senegal Lesser Crested Tern at Kutch.jpg|''T. b. bengalensis'', Kutch, India Lesser crested tern (Thalasseus bengalensis torresii) in flight Michaelmas Cay.jpg|''T. b. torresii'', Michaelmas Cay, Queensland [[File:Thalasseus bengalensis MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.135.18.jpg|thumb| ''Thalasseus bengalensis'' egg, [Muséum de Toulouse](/source/Mus%C3%A9um_de_Toulouse).]] ==Description== [[File:Lesser crested terns (Thalasseus bengalensis) by Shantanu Kuveskar.jpg|left|thumb|Lesser crested terns ''T. b. bengalensis'' in winter plumage, Akshi Beach, [Maharashtra](/source/Maharashtra), India]] This is a medium-large tern, 35–43 cm long and with a 88–105 cm wingspan; its weight ranges from 185–242 g. It is very similar in size and general appearance to its three very close relatives [Sandwich tern](/source/Sandwich_tern), [Elegant tern](/source/Elegant_tern) and [Chinese crested tern](/source/Chinese_crested_tern). The summer adult has a black cap, black legs and a long sharp orange bill. The upperwings, rump and central tail feathers are grey and the underparts white. The primary flight feathers darken during the summer. In winter, the forehead becomes white. The call is a loud grating noise like Sandwich tern.{{cite book | last=Svensson | first=Lars | last2=Mullarney | first2=Killian | last3=Zetterstroem | first3=Dan | title=Collins Bird Guide | publisher=William Collins | date=2023-03-16 | isbn=978-0-00-854746-2 | page=}} The grey rump is a useful flight identification feature distinguishing it from the related species. The Elegant tern also differs in a slightly longer, slenderer bill, while Chinese crested tern differs in a black tip to the bill and Sandwich tern a black bill with a yellow tip. Juvenile lesser crested terns resemble same-age Sandwich terns, but with a yellow-orange bill, and paler overall, with only faint dark crescents on the mantle feathers. There are two other orange-billed terns within the range of this species, [West African crested tern](/source/West_African_crested_tern), and [Greater crested tern](/source/Greater_crested_tern). Both are larger and stouter-billed; West African crested tern also has a white rump and tail, while crested tern (which shares the grey rump) is darker overall above and has a yellower to greenish-yellow bill. Like all ''Thalasseus'' terns, lesser crested tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments. It usually dives directly, and not from the "stepped-hover" favoured by [Arctic tern](/source/Arctic_tern). The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display. This species breeds in dense colonies on coasts and islands. It nests in a ground scrape and lays one to two (rarely three) eggs. Nesting behaviour is very similar to that of [Sandwich tern](/source/Sandwich_tern)s, with predator avoidance by nesting in very dense colonies, and also (in ''T. b. emigratus'' at least) by nesting in the late summer when predatory [yellow-legged gull](/source/yellow-legged_gull)s have finished breeding and departed from the nesting area.{{cite journal |last1=Meininger |first1=Peter L. |last2=Wolf |first2=Pin A. |last3=Hadoud |first3=Dau A. |last4=Essghaier |first4=Mohamed F. A. |title=Rediscovery of Lesser Crested Terns breeding in Libya |journal=British Birds |date=1994 |volume=87 |issue=4 |pages=160-170}} ==Conservation== ''T. bengalensis'' is one of the species to which the ''Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds'' ([AEWA](/source/AEWA)) applies, and one of 10 marine bird species listed in Mediterranean marine birds Action Plan.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rac-spa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=154|title=Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas|website=www.rac-spa.org|access-date=23 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630182824/http://www.rac-spa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=97&Itemid=154|archive-date=30 June 2017}} In India the Lesser crested tern is protected in the [PM Sayeed Marine Birds Conservation Reserve](/source/PM_Sayeed_Marine_Birds_Conservation_Reserve).{{Cite news|url=https://scroll.in/article/961303/lakshadweep-gets-worlds-first-sea-cucumber-conservation-reserve-to-curb-smuggling-into-china|title=Lakshadweep gets world's first sea cucumber conservation reserve to curb smuggling into China|newspaper=Scroll|author=KA Shaji|date=13 May 2020|access-date=23 July 2020}} File:Lesser crested Tern (Thalasseus bengalensis) in Algeria.jpg|''T. b. emigratus'', Algeria File:Lesser Crested Tern manly.ogg|''T. b. torresii'' at Manly Marina, SE Queensland, with crested and Caspian terns, silver gulls and pied oystercatcher File:Lesser crested terns at Muzhappilangad beach.jpg|Lesser crested terns at [Muzhappilangad beach](/source/Muzhappilangad_beach) {{clear}} == Notes == {{Reflist|group=Note}} == References == {{Reflist}} == Further reading == * Azafzaf, H., Etayeb, K. & Hamza, A. 2006: Report on the census of Lesser Crested Tern Sterna bengalensis in the Eastern coast of Libya. (1–7 August 2006). Unpublished report to Regional Activities Centre/Special Protected Areas (MAP/UNEP), Environment General Agency (Libya) and African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (UNEP/AEWA). 18 pp with map and four Appendices. * Baker N.E (1984). Lesser Crested Tern in Bengazi, Libya. Bull. Orn. Soc. Middle East. * Hamza, A., H. Azafzaf, N. Baccetti, E.M. Bourass, J. J.Borg, P. Defos du Rau, A. Saied, J. Sultana, M. Zenatello (2008) Report on census and ringing of Lesser Crested Tern in Libya (2-10 Aug. 2007), with a preliminary inventory of Libyan islands. UNEP-MAP-RAC/SPA and EGA. Tech. Report. * Moltoni E. (1938). Escursione ornitologica all'Isola degli Uccelli (Golfo della Gran Sirte, Cirenaica). Riv. Ital. Orn 8 : 1-16. == External links == {{Commons category|Thalasseus bengalensis}} {{Wikispecies|Sterna bengalensis}} * Lesser crested tern - [http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/325.pdf Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds] {{Taxonbar|from=Q18839}} lesser crested tern Category:Birds of North Africa Category:Birds of Australia Category:Birds of Indonesia Category:Birds of the Maldives Category:Birds of the Arabian Peninsula Category:Wintering birds of Africa Category:Wintering birds of Indomalaya lesser crested tern Category:Taxa named by René Lesson Category:Articles containing video clips --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lesser crested tern](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_crested_tern) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_crested_tern?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.