Common name: Bridled Tern
Scientific name: Onychoprion anaethetus
Family: Laridae

Size:
Body length: 30–32 cm
Wingspan: 77–81 cm
Weight: 90–120 g

Identification:
A slender and elegant seabird with dark grey to blackish upperparts and clean white underparts. The most distinctive feature is the white forehead and bold white eyebrow stripe that contrasts sharply with the black cap, giving it a “bridled” appearance. The bill and legs are black. In flight, it appears graceful and buoyant, with long, narrow wings and steady wingbeats.

Habitat:
Marine and coastal environments, especially tropical and subtropical seas. Prefers offshore islands, rocky islets, and coral reefs for breeding, often nesting in shaded crevices or under vegetation.

Status in the UAE:
Common breeding summer visitor. Nests on offshore islands in the Arabian Gulf and migrates after the breeding season, spending most of the year at sea.

Diet:
Carnivorous — feeds mainly on small fish, squid, and marine invertebrates, typically caught by surface dipping or shallow plunging.

Behavior:
Colonial breeder, nesting in loose colonies on islands. Often seen flying low over the sea or resting in small groups. Less aggressive and more discreet compared to some other tern species. Spends much of its life at sea outside the breeding season.

Conservation status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)