Common name: Sandwich Tern
Scientific name: Thalasseus sandvicensis
Family: Laridae

Size:
Body length: 37–43 cm
Wingspan: 85–97 cm
Weight: 180–300 g

Identification:
A slender, elegant tern with pale grey upperparts, white underparts, and long pointed wings. In breeding plumage, it has a glossy black cap with a slight crest at the rear. The bill is black with a distinct yellow tip, an important field mark. Outside the breeding season, the forehead becomes whiter while the cap is reduced.

Habitat:
Coastal waters, sandy shores, estuaries, lagoons, mudflats, and offshore marine areas.

Status in the UAE:
Common passage migrant and winter visitor along coasts and wetlands.

Diet:
Carnivorous — feeds mainly on small fish and marine invertebrates.

Behavior:
An agile aerial hunter often seen hovering briefly before plunging into the water to catch fish. Usually occurs in groups and may mix with other tern species. Roosts on sandbanks, beaches, and coastal islands. Flight is graceful and buoyant.

Conservation status:
Least Concern (IUCN Red List)