Tern species seen for the first time at Raichak

Photo credit: John Gomes.

Col. Shakti Banerjee who sent us the details of the sighting along the banks of Hooghly river, at Raichak between 9.30 and 10.15 a.m. on May 26, 2015 said, “It was seen perched on the deck of the MV Paramhasa, a cruise vessel that was anchored at Raichak. This species is found mainly on the tropical and sub-tropical islands on the Indian Ocean such as Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives and Mascarene Islands but has never been spotted in this region." A photo record (taken on a mobile phone by John Gomes of Vivada Cruises) was sent to experts who confirmed the identification and the sighting being first of its kind for the region.