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.

Seriously. Look at these little puffballs. After about 45 days, the chick will be old enough to fly, however, it will still stay near its home tree as it expands its range of flight. Here, females often lay a single egg directly onto the bough of a Casuarina tree, typically in a fork or depression. Though the eggs risk being blown or knocked from these precarious sites, they are safe from ground predators, which take many of those laid elsewhere on the island. White terns lay just one egg that requires 30–41 days incubation, so there is a good chance that the nesting attempt will fail; fortunately, they may breed over a 15-year period.