White-fronted Tern

Māori name: Tara

Scientific name: Sterna striata

Declining

The white-fronted tern is New Zealand's most common tern, a graceful seabird often seen hovering over the water near Pāuanui Beach before plunge-diving for small fish. With its distinctive black cap, white forehead, and forked tail, it is an elegant presence along the coastline. Colonies nest on bare ground near beaches and rocky outcrops, making them highly vulnerable to ground predators.

Did you know?

White-fronted terns can live for over 25 years. They often fish cooperatively, with large flocks working together to herd schools of small fish to the surface.

Threats

Stoats, rats, and cats devastate white-fronted tern colonies, which often abandon entire nesting sites after a single predator incursion. Introduced predators are the primary driver of the species' decline.

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