The Bridled Tern Sterna
anaethetus is a
common summer breeding visitor to offshore islands in the Gulf and Red Sea. Brian Meadows (Bull B.O.C 2003) mentioned 175 pairs
breeding on islets north of Yanbu al-Bahr 18 June 1993. Summer visitor to all
coasts nesting on islands occasionally. In 1988 Jennings visited the Farasan Islands and found the
species to be a very common breeding tern and a survey of summer breeding
seabirds by SF Newton in 1994 in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea found they
were the most abundant and widespread breeding seabird. The aerial count total
of just under 20,000 is likely to be a gross underestimate. Most nests were
under bushes but a few small colonies on Farasan use rock overhangs on cliffs
in the absence of vegetation. Both the al Wajh and Farasan Archipelagoes hold
large populations and the species is abundant on the well vegetated outer
islands of the Farasan Bank where it co-occurs with Brown Noddy. Clutches were
always of a single egg and hatching commenced in mid June. In the Gulf large
numbers breed on the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian offshore islands with eggs
hatching in early to Mid-June.
Karan
(27°44’N, 49°50’E) is the largest of the six coral islands measuring 128
hectares in size (2025m x 625m). This island has the largest breeding
population of Lesser Crested terns in Saudi Arabia as well as good numbers of
Bridled Terns and White-cheeked terns and a small number of Swift Terns.
Jana (27°22’N,
49°54’E) is the second largest island being 33 hectares in size (1105m x 300m).
Large numbers of Bridled tern and small numbers of Lesser Crested Terns and
Swift Terns nest here.
Juraid (27°11’N,
49°52’E) is the third largest coral island measuring 20 hectares in size (732 x
282m) and holds the largest breeding population of Bridled Terns in Saudi
Arabia, with good numbers of breeding Lesser Crested Terns and White-cheeked
Terns.
Kurain (27°39’N,
49°50’E) is the second smallest island with a size of 8 hectares (312m x 251m).
Large numbers of Lesser Crested Terns along with good numbers of Bridled Terns
and White-cheeked Terns nest on this island.
