White tern (Gygis alba) rescue

The white tern (Gygis alba) is an unusual bird in several respects. In particular it does not build a nest but rather lays its egg in a hollow or fork of a branch. This requires some particular adaptations by the chick in particular the ability to anchor itself to the branch with its claws even before properly emerging from its shell. Chicks therefore have well-developed feet and claws whilst the rest of them is little more than a fluffy ball of feathers.

The strength of its claws was brought home to me a couple of weeks ago on the island whilst taking some tour operator representatives on a tour round the island. I was actually looking for a Seychelles warbler that I had just heard when I looked up to see a white tern chick hanging upside down from a branch. I initially thought the chick was dead but then I saw an adult sitting on the perch above and looked more closely at the chick. It was alive with breathing and eye movement evident and hanging by just a couple of claws of one foot… not a good situation.

The bird was a good 15 feet off the ground up a spindly ornamental tree near the main hotel complex. I went in search of a ladder and on my return, having with the assistance of some of the tour reps worked out how to properly extend it, still found the ladder too short for someone of my limited climbing capacity to reach the bird. Fortunately a young man from the garden staff was walking by and I asked him if he would be able to help. He took one rather dismissive look at the ladder, and proceeded to shin agilely up the tree retrieved the bird and replaced it on the perch where the adult had been!

I had been too preoccupied to get a photo of the chick whilst it hung precariously, but one of the tour reps, Amy Pearson, did get a shot of the rescue which she has kindly sent to me (see sidebar).

I went back the next week to check on the chick and found it well and on its perch - so a nice little feel-good story for all involved!