Royal Tern

Description:

Fairly large tern (~50cm). The body is pure white, the mantle is light grey and the front-head and cap are black. Juveniles are streaked with light brown (picture #2). The bill is long, thick. Yellow in non-breeding season, orange in breeding season, and lacks black tip.

Habitat:

Spotted in the laguna of the Langue de Barbarie National Park (see notes).

Notes:

The Langue de Barbarie is a thin, sandy peninsula, adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, located in western Senegal, in the neighbourhood of the city of Saint-Louis. The peninsula separates the ocean from the final section of the Senegal River. The national park, created in 1976, is home to an abundant variety of bird species. A 4 metres (13 ft) breach was cut in the peninsula near the city of Saint-Louis on October 3rd, 2003 to help counter possible inundations. However, the breach quickly widened to 800 m (2,600 ft), creating a new river embouchure and separating the southern end of the peninsula permanently from the main country, effectively transforming it into an island. The former river embouchure is now filling in, what should lead to a general filling of the lagoon. The join effect of the Senegal river and the ocean is quickly eroding that south island, destroying the habitats and breeding areas for thousands of birds, sea turtles and fishes. This will as well destroy slowly the local fishing industry and the full social and economical network of the area. An environmental, social and economical disaster!