Chinese Crested Tern

Chinese Crested Tern (黑嘴端鳳頭燕鷗)
Taiwan (2002)
4th June, 2009. Taipei

Chinese Crested Tern now has be listed as critically endangered species, only 100 birds left in Taiwan, offshore islands of China and the Philippines. Birdwatchers thought it was extinct before they rediscovered four pairs of Chinese Crested Tern in Matsu, Taiwan on 2000. It looks similar with Sandwich Tern (白嘴端燕鷗) and Lesser Crested Tern (小鳳頭燕鷗), especially only the colour of bill is different than Sandwich Tern, which Chinese Crested Tern is black but other is white. Nowadays most of islands of Matsu has been built up as national park to protect wild birds and other species, in the past as there was prohibit area, birds can safety bleed their eggs not be stolen by people.

Thanks James for this cover, and he also sent me a cover with whole sheet of stamp from Matsu, however it is too large for scanner and can't be shown in here.