Rare bridled tern makes first Channel Islands appearance in Jersey

Romano da Costa, who photographed the bird, said the sighting was a "once in a century kind of thing"

A rare tropical seabird has been seen for the first time in the Channel Islands, experts have said.

The bridled tern has been seen on Les Ecréhous, a group of islands and reefs about six miles (10km) off Jersey.

Romano da Costa, who photographed the bird, said it was a "more than once in a century kind of thing".

Birdwatcher, Mick Dryden, said it was "good to get one up on Guernsey" after another rare tern visited Guernsey but not Jersey a few years ago.

Mick Dryden said the bridled tern was with the other terns that breed around the houses and on the reefs of Les Ecréhous

Mr Dryden, chairman of the Ornithology Section of Société Jersiaise, said: "It will be the first record for Jersey and the Channel Islands.

"It was first seen on Thursday by one of our birders who looks after our terns and builds nest boxes for them. He heard it calling overhead.

"Now, a minimum of seven people have seen it."

Romano da Costa said "It's one of the best species I've photographed in Jersey, because it's so rare"

He said the remote location and the fact the bird was a "very aerial species" meant it was difficult to see.

Mr Dryden said: "I'm always very pleased with new records for the island, it's good for tourism, and it's good to get one up on Guernsey.

"They had another species of rare tern, the royal tern, that stayed around for a couple of years from 2017, and didn't visit Jersey."

'Top three' Jersey birds

Birdwatcher, Mr da Costa, who has photographed birds around the world, said: "It was quite an exciting experience and it gets your adrenaline going.

"Another guy described it as one of the top three birds seen in Jersey.

"It's one of the best species I've photographed in Jersey, because it's so rare."

Tom Stewart, from the British Trust for Ornithology, said: "Bridled terns spend their lives in the tropical oceans around the equator and are very rare visitors to the UK.

"The last records were in 2013 and 2014, when a bird, possibly the same one, spent the summer ranging between tern colonies along the coast between Northumberland and Fair Isle.

"Before that, the most recent records are from 2010, 2006, 2003, 1994 and 1993.

"The bridled tern currently in Jersey appears to be spending its time in a common tern colony, so it may well stick around for at least another few weeks."

Scott Mayson, from the British Trust for Ornithology, added: "For the record to be formally accepted it will need to be submitted to the British Birds Records Committee who will assess the record and if they are happy the identification is correct then it will be accepted as a first for the islands."

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