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DRY TORTUGAS – Seabird Specialties
May 7, 2020 | by Adrian Binns
The Dry Tortugas is a premier North American birding destination to witness the spectacle of tropical seabirds. During our 3 day spring tour to these beautiful islands, we enjoy a variety of specialties including five species that nest only in this location within the United States.
![](https://mlidtupnuhh2.i.optimole.com/cb:CW8P.34791/w:auto/h:auto/q:eco/ig:avif/id:ba1c7bb282e4cea2c6620174e530cee0/https://wildsidenaturetours.com/Bridled-Terns-on-jetsom-600x-ab-BINNS-D64A0767-copy.jpg)
Bridled Tern
BRIDLED TERN Onychoprion anaethetus
- often found feeding along sargassum mats
- birds at sea may land on flotsam and jetsam
- only place they nest in the US is on Bush Key, in early summer
- first began nesting in Dry Tortugas after 2005 hurricane season
![](https://mlidtupnuhh2.i.optimole.com/cb:CW8P.34791/w:auto/h:auto/q:eco/ig:avif/id:1009d8b82ee69a21af97d86416991a81/https://wildsidenaturetours.com/Audubons-Shearwaters-600x-ab-BINNS-HO8A6661-copy.jpg)
Audubon’s Shearwater
AUDUBON’S SHEARWATER Puffinus therminieri
- small, about 12″, tropical shearwater
- often seen in flocks in the warmer waters of the Gulf Stream
- best looked for foraging around sargassum
- nests in burrows on small islands in the Caribbean
![](https://mlidtupnuhh2.i.optimole.com/cb:CW8P.34791/w:auto/h:auto/q:eco/ig:avif/id:1b5af6412879aea23f56a0c7daac63ad/https://wildsidenaturetours.com/roseate-terns-600-ab-BINNS-D64A6909-copy.jpg)
Roseate Tern
ROSEATE TERN Sterna dougallii
- often seen resting on markers and buoys
- at rest, tails of adults extend well beyond the wing tip
- plunge dives from a greater height than other terns
- a few pairs nest on Bush Key in early summer
![](https://mlidtupnuhh2.i.optimole.com/cb:CW8P.34791/w:auto/h:auto/q:eco/ig:avif/id:ff1850ce9263a2aa779124e32336546f/https://wildsidenaturetours.com/Brown-Booby-flt-600x-ab-BINNS-D64A3565-copy.jpg)
Brown Booby
BROWN BOOBY Sula leucogaster
- usually seen in small groups on markers on the way to the Dry Tortugas
- look for the clean demarcation between breast and underparts
- plunge dives from 20-50′, feeding mainly on flying fish and squid
- breeds in the Caribbean
![](https://mlidtupnuhh2.i.optimole.com/cb:CW8P.34791/w:auto/h:auto/q:eco/ig:avif/id:aa0e854bd189bb78f340e4fc1c078331/https://wildsidenaturetours.com/Masked-Booby-flt-600x-ab-BINNS-D64A7534-copy.jpg)
Masked Booby
MASKED BOOBY Sula dactylatra
- only place in the US that it nests is on Hospital Key
- first nested in 1984, now about 20 pairs breed
- largest and least common of the tropical boobies
- upon greeting each other females squawk, and males whistle
![](https://mlidtupnuhh2.i.optimole.com/cb:CW8P.34791/w:auto/h:auto/q:eco/ig:avif/id:7d805074b274d6c7a138eb93d87cf09f/https://wildsidenaturetours.com/Brown-Noddy-flt-600x-ab-BINNS-IMG_9200-copy.jpg)
Brown Noddy
BROWN NODDY Anous stolidus
- only nest colony in continuous US is on Bush Key
- about 2500 pairs nest, creating loose twig platforms low in bushes
- largest and most abundant of the noddies
- seen close perched on the North Coaling Dock
![](https://mlidtupnuhh2.i.optimole.com/cb:CW8P.34791/w:auto/h:auto/q:eco/ig:avif/id:a78753bebfa6e789c9ddbe2ad8d5cef6/https://wildsidenaturetours.com/Black-Noddy-600-ab-BINNS-IMG_0380-copy.jpg)
Black Noddy
BLACK NODDY Anous minutus
- only place in the contiguous US to see it
- usually one immature present each spring, first seen in 1960
- best seen on Bush Key or North Coaling Dock
- rare in North Atlantic, with only a few pairs breeding in West Indies
![](https://mlidtupnuhh2.i.optimole.com/cb:CW8P.34791/w:auto/h:auto/q:eco/ig:avif/id:3a1faffe3df0930cd46d7ca0d3220ef9/https://wildsidenaturetours.com/Sooty-Tern-600x-ab-BINNS-IMG_9100-copy.jpg)
Sooty Tern
SOOTY TERN Onychoprion fuscatus
- most numerous bird in the Dry Tortugas, 80,000 nest annually on Bush Key
- only nesting colony in the United States
- highly pelagic and don’t land on water
- once fledged they spend 5 years on the wing before returning to breed
Join us for a Dry Tortugas Seabirds and Spring Migration tour!