The Common White Tern (Gygis candida, also Blue-billed White-Tern) or Golan in Creole is a beautiful bird seen on all islands in Seychelles, even islands like Mahe where they are killed by introduced rats, cats and Barn Owls. They are usually seen flying around trees in pairs.
White Terns use trees for breeding, although they do not build a nest.
Instead, the female lays a single egg on a rare branch, usually where there is a knot or fork to support the egg. She will sit on the egg to prevent it from falling from the branch. As soon as the egg hatches twenty-one days later, the fluffy chick clings onto the branch with its large clawed feet. The adults feed the chicks small fish, which are carried crossways in the parent’s beak.
White Terns have big eyes that are thought to allow them to hunt for fish at night.
Facts
Scientific name: Gygis candida (formerly recognised as Gygis alba)
Creole name: Golan
Wingspan: 70 – 80 cm
Population in Seychelles: At least 14,000 pairs on the granitics, several thousand more PAIRS on outer islands
World distribution: Found across the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans, including Seychelles
Distribution in Seychelles: Breeds on all islands
Nest: In trees; no nest is built. One egg laid.
Diet: Fish, squid and crustaceans
Identification: The only all-white tern. In adults, the base of the beak is blue.
See more:
Species Fact Sheet at BirdLife Data Zone
Note on Taxonomy update:
Recent studies have split the White Tern (Gygis alba), once treated as a single worldwide species, into three separate species. The birds found in Seychelles are now identified as Gygis candida, while Gygis alba is now limited to the Atlantic Ocean. This update is based on differences in their looks, calls, genetics, and where they live.
See also: Species limits and English names in the genus Gygis (Laridae)
(Photo credit: Liz Mwambui)