Distribution, Status and Notes on the Breeding Biology of the Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetus in New Caledonia

Abstract

The Bridled Tern Sterna anaethetusis a secretive tern species that is found only in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. Its breeding in New Caledonia has been questionable for decades. We document its breeding in the southern part of New Caledonia, and present the first information on breeding and biometrics of this species there. Overall, this population appears to be very similar to the Australian population, except that it is slightly larger. The total known population is between 750 and 1500 breeding pairs.