Fairy ternTara iti

Conservation status
In serious trouble

New Zealand's rarest bird. Nesting on shell-covered sand near the sea, fairy terns are often vulnerable to extreme weather events and predation. However, their eggs have speckled to blend in with the sand, and, when parents call an alarm, the chicks standstill, blending into the background. Terns are also able to drink sea water.

Fairy tern

Credit - Jordan Kappely