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05 August 2019

90,000 Terns Nesting at Time + Tide Miavana

By *Mindy Roberts, Time + Tide

Each year in the Nosy Ankao archipelago, we see up to 90,000 sooty terns nesting from June – October. Their main destination is one of the uninhabited islands nearby Time + Tide Miavana; Nosy Manamphao. Even for non-birders, the experience of tens of thousands of birds covering the sky like confetti is one you won’t forget. Some interesting facts about sooty terns:

  1. They are known to catch up on their sleep while flying; taking 2 second naps as they stay away from land for the entire year except during breeding
  2. They live up to around 30 years
  3. Their courtship takes place in the air and on the ground, where the birds are known to strut and bow to each other.
  4. 5. Sooty Terns will sometimes take 1 or 2-second naps while flying. This is necessary since they don’t float and don’t have anywhere to land to sleep while at sea.

Watch footage from our island of the nesting terns (a 45 second getaway for those of you in the office)