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28 December 2020

Bridled Tern - Farasan Islands

Every year thousands of pairs of Bridled Terns migrate to Saudi Arabia to breed on islands in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. Most stay well offshore making it a difficult species to see, as most islands are not accessible to birders and boat trips are difficult to arrange. A visit to the Farasan Islands allowed me to see the species for the first time in the Kingdom and as I saw it from a boat, we were able to get very close to a few birds. It has a status in Saudi Arabia as a very common breeding migrant and breeds on uninhabited, low, rocky or sandy islands with shade and forages at sea. We saw quite a few birds flying around feeding as well as the ones perched on offshore islands.
Bridled Tern

Bridled Tern

Bridled Tern

Bridled Tern

Bridled Tern