Addu City - White Tern

White Tern

The White Tern (Gygis alba) locally know as Dhondheeni(ދޮންދީނި), sometimes called as Kandhuvalu dhooni is a small seabird traditionally only confined to the Addu Atoll, the southern uttermost atoll in the Maldives. However, the White Tern is commonly found across the tropical seas of the world and in the Indian Ocean.

The White Tern is one of the most beautiful and interesting resident bird found in the Maldives. It has got all body white with black eye-ring and black bill with blue at the base. Legs and feet are also blue, with yellow to webs. In recent decades white tern has been proudly used as a symbol by the people of Addu Atoll to represent their atoll in the Maldives.