West African crested tern
The West African crested tern is a bird species in the family Laridae.Distribution
It breeds in subtropical coastal parts of the world on the coasts of Mauritania to Guinea.Description
Like all Thalasseus terns, the West African crested tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from saline environments. It usually dives directly, and not from the "stepped-hover" favoured by Arctic tern. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.
It was suspected by wildlife conservationists in The Gambia that the West African birds were a separate species and analysis of DNA by scientists at the University of Aberdeen and the University of Montpellier have confirmed that the West African albididorsalis is a separate species. Feathers and other remains were collected from Mauritania and from islands off Tanji Bird Reserve, The Gambia and the DNA sequences shows the West African royal tern is closer to the lesser crested tern than royal terns on the other side of the Atlantic.
