8 Things You Need to Know About Adorable White Fairy Tern

These birds are more than just adorable avians with pale feathers, dark black eyes and really cute chicks. They’re connected to Hawaii’s history and culture, and have become icons of adoration for many of the city’s residents and visitors. Below you can learn more about what makes the white fairy tern so special.

Although the white fairy tern is often called just that, the bird has another name in olelo Hawaii (Hawaiian language), manu-o-Ku, which translates to "the bird of Ku." In Hawaiian mythology, Ku is one of the four great gods and is worshipped as the god of war.