This little bird is a White Tern (WHTE). Besides being ridiculously cute, it is also one of the most conspicuous birds on the atoll and a favorite of most visitors. This is because WHTE's have the tendency to fly up to pedestrians and talk to them.
One will be strolling along and suddenly surrounded by one to ten of these little white birds, as they make a deep and rapid "doi-doi-doi" or guttural "heec-heech" sound. My first thought that this swarming behavior within a foot of my face was a defensive behavior. However, as the last chicks have already been fledged, there is nothing for WHTEs to be protective of and are thus thought to simply be curious.
The advantage of them being so inquisitive is the rare nice photograph. It turns out that one has the exact opposite problem with photographing WHTEs as one would have with most birds of a comparable size (100-150g), they are so close it is difficult to get the entire bird in the frame.
When not swarming around the heads of unsuspecting island residents, the terns can be found perched on branches. During the breeding season, which won't start until summer, they lay their eggs on these branches, without building a nest. They simply balance the egg on a branch and hope it doesn't fall off.
Very nice shots of WHTR. They can be very hard to photograph, but they do give you lots of chances.
ReplyDelete