Lesser Crested Tern

Lesser Crested Tern is a medium-large tern, 35 to 43 cm long with a wingspan of 88 to 105 cm, weighing 185 to 242 g. It breeds in subtropical coastal areas from the Red Sea across the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific and Australia, with a significant population on two islands off Libya in the Mediterranean. others migrate, wintering south to South Africa (Wikipedia, general species account). (Wikipedia, general species account).

It is an occasional vagrant to Europe, where it has been known to breed in pure and mixed (with Sandwich tern) pairs. There are two other orange-billed terns within the range of this species, West African crested tern, and Greater crested tern. Three subspecies are recognised, differing mainly in size and in how dark grey the upperparts are. It is an occasional vagrant to Europe, where it has bred in pure and mixed pairs with the Sandwich tern (Wikipedia, general species account). (Wikipedia, general species account).