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Volume 51, No. 1

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Breeding of Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus on a shipwreck in Bahregan Bay, Persian Gulf: a case report


Authors

HAMED GHANAATIAN*1, ALIREZA SAFAHIEH1, KEIVAN KABIRI2, AHMAD SAVARI1, MOHAMAD REZA MOHAMADZADEH3 & KHOSROW DARVISHI4
1Marine Biology Department, Marine Science and Oceanography Faculty, Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology (KMSU), Khorramshahr, Khuzestan, Iran *(hamed.ghanaatian@gmail.com)
2Oceanic Data Management & Remote Sensing Department, Iranian National Institute for Oceanography and Atmospheric Science (INIOAS), Tehran, Iran
3Fishing Cooperative of Imam Hassan Port, Deylam, Bushehr, Iran
4Bushehr Provincial Office of the Department of the Environment (DOE), Wildlife Bureau, Bushehr, Iran

Citation

GHANAATIAN, H., SAFAHIEH, A., KABIRI, K., SAVARI, A., MOHAMADZADEH, M.R. & DARVISHI, K. 2023. Breeding of Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus on a shipwreck in Bahregan Bay, Persian Gulf: a case report. Marine Ornithology 51: 43 - 45

Received 30 July 2022, accepted 11 December 2022

Date Published: 2023/04/15
Date Online: 2023/04/10
Key words: Bridled tern, Breeding nest, Iran-Reshadat, shipwreck, Bahregan Bay

Abstract

There are several tern species that breed in Iran during summer. Usually they nest on safe and uninhabited islands of the Persian Gulf. Here, we report an unusual occurrence at the Iran-Reshadat shipwreck ~10 km from Imam Hassan port in Bahregan Bay, Bushehr Province. At this site, Bridled Terns had laid eggs on the sunken ship upon three deck pillars that reached ~8 m above high water. Despite fishing boats anchoring around the sunken ship and even tying to the pillars, the terns appeared to feel safe and continued to nest at this location.

References


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