Fairy tern

The fairy tern (Sternula nereis) is a small tern which is native to the southwestern Pacific. It is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN and the New Zealand subspecies is critically endangered. Fairy terns live in colonies along the coastlines and estuaries of Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia, feeding largely on small, epipelagic schooling fishes, breeding in areas close to their feeding sites. They have a monogamous mating system, forming breeding pairs in which they mate, nest, and care for offspring.

There are three subspecies:

Australian fairy tern, Sternula nereis nereis (Gould, 1843) – breeds in Australia

New Caledonian fairy tern, Sternula nereis exsul (Mathews, 1912) – breeds in New Caledonia

New Zealand fairy tern / Tara iti, Sternula nereis davisae (Mathews & Iredale, 1913) – breeds in northern New Zealand

The three subspecies are distinguished by geographical range, and slight morphological differences. Gene flow between subspecies is little to none.