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Recordings
Scientific Name
Hydroprogne caspia
Arabic Name
الخرشنة القزوينية
Kuwaiti name
خطاف
Family
Width
135.0 cm
Length
53.0 cm
Information
Common resident; breeds. Nests in colonies of up to 250 pairs, usually on Bubiyan and Warba but has also nested on Kubbar in the past. This is the largest tern, a characteristic coastal species.
Where in Kuwait
The largest of all terns, this species is a majestic seabird recognised by its stout, blood red, black tipped bill, and black head cap and is found all along the coastline throughout the year, although numbers dwindle when the species breeds on the northern off-shore islands over summer
In the world
It has an extremely large range with an increasing population and a cosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Although populations breeding near the equator are largely sedentary, northern populations are strongly migratory and disperse after breeding before migrating southwards.The breeding, passage and wintering habitats of this species are similar, although during the winter it is largely confined to the coast.
Local threats
Marine oil spills and pollution, human disturbance during summer breeding