Black tern by Rinnie Wijnstra (FotoAmeland )

About "Black tern"

by Rinnie Wijnstra (FotoAmeland )

About the artwork

Black tern

BREEDING
Black terns breed in May-June. They have one clutch per year of 2-3 eggs. Incubation period 20-22 days. The nest is made in freshwater environments on floating vegetation, preferably crab beds, or artificial nest rafts. They breed in small colonies. The young spend 25-28 days on the nest. They can leave the nest for extended periods from as early as the second week and are fed for some time after fledging.

HABITATS
Shallow and moderately nutrient-rich marshes and in agricultural areas with many ditches, marsh vegetation and mud banks. Extensive fields of crabgrass, water violet and pondweed and a lush, species-rich riparian zone (marshland) are the preferred habitat of this bird of fresh and brackish water marshes. In wintering grounds bird of seacoasts.

FOOD
Black terns eat small fish, amphibians, insects and earthworms. It often prays, picking up food from the water surface; also hunts flying insects.

BIRDS
Black terns can be seen in the Netherlands from mid-April into October. Until recently, much of the European and western Siberian population migrated to West Africa via the Netherlands (IJsselmeer) and the coast. Some still fly much further. Autumn migration takes place between the end of June and the end of September. In July, August and early September, large numbers gather in the IJsselmeer region, an important way station. Yet here numbers have declined sharply, and many black terns avoid our country on migration. 'At night, black terns sleep together. Island De Kreupel is an important place for this.