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Rivertern incubating


Rivertern incubating
Photo Information
Copyright: Arjun Haarith (Arjun) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 359 W: 7 N: 1109] (5398)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-01-27
Categories: Birds
Camera: Nikon D200, Sigma 100-300 f/4 EX HSM
Exposure: f/8, 1/640 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Open Up ...Part I [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2008-03-16 9:46
Viewed: 668
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Indian River Tern or just River Tern (Sterna aurantia) is a bird in the tern family . It is a resident breeder along inland rivers from Iran east through Pakistan into India and Myanmar to Thailand, where it is uncommon. It does not occur in Sri Lanka. Unlike most Sterna terns, it is almost exclusively found on freshwater, rarely venturing even to tidal creeks.

This species breeds from March to May in colonies in less accessible areas such as sandbanks in rivers. It nests in a ground scrape, often on bare rock or sand, and lays three greenish-grey to buff eggs, which are blotched and streaked with brown.

This is a medium-sized tern, 38-43 cm long with dark grey upperparts, white underparts, a forked tail with long flexible streamers, and long pointed wings. The bill is yellow and the legs red. It has a black cap in breeding plumage. In the winter the cap is greyish white, flecked and streaked with black, there is a dark mask through the eye, and the tip of the bill becomes dusky.

The sexes are similar but juveniles have a brown head, brown-marked grey upperparts, grey breast sides and white underparts. The bill is yellowish with a dark tip

As with other Sterna terns, the River Tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, crustaceans, tadpoles and aquatic insects in rivers, lakes, and tanks. Its numbers are decreasing is due to the pollution of their habitat.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Sternidae

Genus: Sterna

Species: S. aurantia


Binomial name
Sterna aurantia

This was shot at Ranganathittu bird sanctuary.This bird was incubatinng its egg.

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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Nilson Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 442 W: 0 N: 427] (3110)
  • [2008-03-16 10:26]

Bela foto é muito recompesador estar perto de uma ave deste tipo fotografando muito boa imagem com técnica exelente meus parabéns.
Nilson

Dear Arjun,
Nice unique view. good feather details.
with best regards.vab.

Hi Arjun,
very nice shot. I think you had to go quite near?
greetings
Pierre

Beautiful photo and composition. Very special BG.

TFS

Venu

  • Great 
  • EOSF1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1381 W: 126 N: 5246] (23469)
  • [2008-03-19 6:54]

Hello Arjun, very good capture of this Tern, great details, good exposure and great pose, well done, thanks!

Mario

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