Description

Photo taken at Tommy Thompson Park (Leslie Street Spit), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. These terns were fighting over a fish that one of them had caught. At Tommy Thompson Park, many floating rafts have been constructed for the terns to nest on. A sign posted near one of the lookouts reads as follows:

“Common Terns nest in colonies on islands without much vegetation. Their Great Lakes habitat has been impacted by development and water level management, so Toronto and Region Conservation and the Canadian Wildlife Service designed floating rafts to address water levels and mimic island habitat. The angled metal side prevents predators like racoons and mink from accessing the raft, and the wood tents function as chick shelters, where they can escape from weather and avian predators.

The Common Tern is the bird used in the Tommy Thompson Park (TTP) logo, as they were the first colonial waterbird to nest at the park. They hunt by diving head first into the water and can often be seen carrying fish back to their mate and their young. Caspian Terns are also present at TTP and are larger with a heavier bill than Common Terns.”

Category

Category 6: Birds in Flight

Species

• Common Tern