The tern colony
A sky full of wings.
original: Phil Guest — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photography by Dino Sassi - Marcel Fayon, Photo Eden LTD — Public domain · original: Phil Guest; derivation: Radosław Botev — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Tribalninja — CC BY 3.0
Bird Island is the northernmost island in the Seychelles, a small coral island of 0.94 sq km. It is famous for a huge colony of sooty terns that fills the sky and pastures during the nesting season. Today it is a small private resort with just a few villas, attracting bird lovers and those seeking calm rather than the bustle of big hotels. It was once called «Île aux Vaches» because of the many dugongs around it. Between 1896 and 1906 some 17,000 tons of guano were taken from it, and it was later planted with coconuts. A French ship was wrecked here in 1808. Since 1967 it has been owned by a Seychellois businessman, and conservation has included removing rats and rabbits and protecting turtle nests. About 700,000 pairs of sooty terns nest here, arriving from late March, laying in May and staying until October, filling the air with noise and wings above green grass. Narrow white beaches and a coral shelf ring the island, and hawksbill and green turtles nest on it. From the air it looks like a small green triangle on the sea. It is about 104 km in a straight line from Victoria, linked to Mahe by a small airstrip, with the trip arranged through the resort. May to October is the time for the birds. Keep away from nests, stay on the paths, walk carefully through the colony and wear a hat, as many birds fly overhead.
A sky full of wings.
Hawksbill and green turtles.
A green triangle on the sea.
Northern edge of the Seychelles archipelago
They arrive from late March, lay in May and stay until October.
Visits are arranged with the private resort and involve a flight, so ask about options.