Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

At the airport, we noticed that several local people were picking up Sooty Terns from both the tarmac and grassy areas. On closer examination, it was obvious that these birds were simply falling from the sky utterly exhausted. I am afraid that they were destined for the cooking pots as a delicacy for many families that evening.

Country: Papua New Guinea
Location: Kiunga
Family: Gulls, Terns and Skimmers (Laridae)
Species: Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus)
Date taken: 17/07/2012