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Caspian Tern

Hydroprogne caspia
Laridae
First sighted at Salter Grove late September 2023 ...
... in small flock of three adults and one juvenile
With a red dagger-like beak, it is the largest tern of all
Towers over the Common Tern
Seen here in Australia, a tad larger than Silver Gulls?
An ocean away in Madagascar, possibly a mated pair
Searching for fish in Michigan
Diving in for dinner!
For me or ...
... for my mate?
Nesting colony near water with plentiful fish
Nest site defended from Ring-billed Gull
As chicks grow so do ...
... the size and number of fish they are fed
Juveniles are even fed by parents on wintering grounds

The Caspian Tern was recorded for the first time at Salter Grove in September of 2023.  At least three and possibly four migrating individuals were seen flying over the northern arm of the breakwater.  It is the largest tern in North America and can be mistaken for a gull because of its sizable and chunky body.  However, the bright red dagger-like bill is definitely tern-like.

Small disjunct colonies of the Caspian Tern are found on all continents except South America and Antarctica.  Preferred nesting sites include coastal and freshwater islands, wetlands, or beaches inaccessible to predators. 

Although still fairly common on the shores of its namesake, the Caspian Sea, European populations seem to be declining overall.  In contrast, colonies in North America are growing steadily in areas free from human disturbance.  The Caspian tern mainly eats small fish and has benefited from the overfishing of large predacious fish that would otherwise be competitors in the Great Lakes region.     

The world's largest breeding colony of Caspian Terns is on an artificial island on the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington.  The voracious appetite of the over 6,000 breeding pairs has negatively impacted the salmon fishery in the area.  In an effort to balance tern and salmon conservation, artificial islands with suitable nesting habitat have been created to relocate nesting birds and thus reduce their predatory impact.