Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica)

Common winter migrant to lagoons, estuaries, sand spits, salterns and large tanks of dry coastal areas. Scarce in wet coastal areas and inland wetlands. Also summer loiterer. It is also believed that possible breeding may occurs on Adam’s Bridge islets. It flies usually low over the water surface solitary or in small scattered flocks, every now and then dipping to catch water insects, fish, frogs, crabs, prawns etc. When not feeding it rests on sand banks often with other terns. Gull-billed Tern nests as colonies on sand banks on the shores of lagoons or sandy islets. Breeding season is from April to June.