White-cheeked
Tern is a summer breeder to the Arabian Gulf where most birds nest on offshore
islands. This year looks like it may have been a good breeding season for the
birds as there are very large numbers at Sabkhat Al Fasl this autumn including
many juveniles. Birds use the area to fish and feed their young after leaving
the islands and the numbers appear to be evenly split between adults and
juveniles. The tough conditions in the Arabian Gulf cause the adults to look
very worn at this time of year but they have no problem catching enough food
for their young and themselves and this is one of the best locations in the
Kingdom for seeing the species. Although the world population is large and the
species is listed as of least concern there is concern the population is
declining due to unsustained egg harvesting at many of the species breeding
localities.
