Forster's tern : பறவைகள் பல விதம் .. .. ஆலா !!

 

பறவைகள் பல விதம் ஒவ்வொன்றும்  ஒருவிதம்!

பாடல்கள் பலவிதம்,   ஒவ்வொன்றும் ஒருவிதம்!!

 

ஆலா என்ற பறவையை பார்த்துள்ளீர்களா ?!? 

 

Terns are seabirds in the subfamily Sterninae of the wider gull and tern family Laridae. They have a worldwide distribution and are normally found near the sea, rivers, or wetlands.   They are slender, lightly built birds with long, forked tails, narrow wings, long bills, and relatively short legs. Most species are pale grey above and white below with a contrasting black cap to the head.

 

Terns are long-lived birds and are relatively free from natural predators and parasites; most species are declining in numbers due directly or indirectly to human activities, including habitat loss, pollution, disturbance, and predation by introduced mammals.   

In Tamil, "tern" is generally called ஆலா (Aalaa), referring to these graceful seabirds known for their long migrations, with specific types like Arctic Tern being வடமுனை ஆலா (Vadamunai Aalaa) and River Tern as ஆற்று ஆலா (Aatru Aalaa).  

 

The one pictured here, taken at the Marsh lands of Pallikaranai is -  Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri),  a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name Sterna is derived from Old English "stearn", "tern", and forsteri commemorates the naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster. 

It breeds inland in North America in the northern United States and southern Canada, and migrates south to winter in the southern United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and northern Central America. It is also a rare but annual vagrant in western Europe, and has wintered in Ireland and Great Britain on a number of occasions. This species breeds in colonies in marshes. It nests in a ground scrape and lays two or more eggs. Like all white terns, it is fiercely defensive of its nest and young.  The Forster's tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, but will also hawk for insects in its breeding marshes.   

 

The Arctic tern is famous for its migration; it flies from its Arctic breeding grounds to the Antarctic and back again each year. The shortest distance between these areas is 19,000 km (12,000 mi). The long journey ensures that this bird sees two summers per year and more daylight than any other creature on the planet 

The song at the start is from the movie -  Iruvar Ullam, directed by L. V. Prasad, based on Lakshmi's novel Pen Manam,  starring  Sivaji Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi, that hit the screens in 1963.  The song was sung by TM Soundararajan, written by Kaviyarasu Kannadhasan to the music of legendary KV Mahadevan.   

 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
23.1.2026