Fairy tern

The fairy tern is a charming bird native to the southwestern Pacific, particularly notable for its delicate appearance and vulnerable status. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the fairy tern is categorized as "Vulnerable" with the New Zealand subspecies being even more at risk, classified as "Critically Endangered." Three subspecies of fairy terns exist: the Australian fairy tern, the New Caledonian fairy tern, and the New Zealand fairy tern.

These birds are easily recognizable by their white bodies, light bluish-grey wings, and striking black crowns and napes. During the breeding season, they sport bright yellowish-orange beaks and legs. Fairy terns are about 25 cm (10 inches) long. Their diet mainly consists of fish, which they catch by hovering above the sea and diving beak-first into the water. They also feed on crustaceans, mollusks, and occasionally some plant material.

Fairy terns breed in the spring, forming colonies on sheltered beaches either on the mainland or offshore islands. They make their nests by scraping a shallow hole in the sand above the high-water mark, where they lay one or two eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and caring for the chicks, and it is not uncommon to see them looking after their young even after they've fledged.

Unfortunately, the fairy tern's numbers have declined rapidly, changing its conservation status from "Least Concern" to "Vulnerable." The New Zealand fairy tern, in particular, has been teetering on the edge of extinction for decades, with only a tiny population remaining. Thanks to conservation efforts by the New Zealand Department of Conservation, including a dedicated breeding program, the population has stabilized somewhat. As of 2018, there were an estimated 43 individuals left.

These efforts are crucial to ensure that the fairy tern, with its delicate beauty and unique presence, continues to grace the shores of the southwestern Pacific.