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Breeding ecology and incubation behaviours of Little Tern Sternula albifrons in the Sabkhat Al-Fasl Lagoons, Saudi Arabia.
Citation
AlRashidi, M. 2025. Breeding ecology and incubation behaviours of Little Tern Sternula albifrons in the Sabkhat Al-Fasl Lagoons, Saudi Arabia..
Marine Ornithology 53: 235
- 241
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.53.2.1642
Received 19 November 2024, accepted 14 February 2025
Date Published: 2025/10/15
Date Online: 2025/08/26
Key words: harsh environments, incubation behaviour, nest attendance, seabirds, Sternula albifrons
Abstract
Aspects of the breeding ecology and behaviour of the Little Tern Sternula albifrons were studied in the Sabkhat Al-Fasl Lagoons, Saudi Arabia, a region characterized by extreme temperature fluctuations. Ground temperatures in the area can range from 50 °C during the day to 25 °C at night. Observations of 147 nests revealed that Little Terns prefer to nest in exposed sites with no vegetation cover. The distance from nests to the nearest bushes ranged from 11-17 m (median = 13 m), while the distance to water ranged from 2-10 m (median = 4 m). Using a small trail camera, adult incubation behaviours were recorded at eight randomly selected nests over a 24-hour period. Results indicated that ground temperature influenced Little Tern nest attendance. During the hottest part of the day, when temperatures exceeded 45 °C, and at night, when temperatures dropped below 30 °C, nest attendance increased to over 95%, likely to prevent the eggs from experiencing lethal conditions. In addition, sunlight direction—especially during the hottest hours of the day—affected the orientation of the incubating adults. Adults frequently oriented themselves toward the east or north, using their bodies to shade the eggs. These two behaviours of incubating adults may reflect the species' remarkable ability to adapt to extreme environmental conditions.
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Fig. 1. Map of the Sabkhat Al-Fasl Lagoons, Saudi Arabia, created using QGIS v. 3.40, an open-source program (QGIS Development Team, 2022), showing the locations of Little Tern Sternula albifrons nests (red dots). The inset image highlights the study species, characterized by its distinctive white forehead that extends behind the eye, distinguishing it from Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi.