A black-and-white tern that lives its entire life over tropical oceans. It touches land only to breed. The sooty tern is the most abundant tern in the world. Millions of them breed on remote coral atolls across the Pacific Indian and Atlantic Oceans. They raise their young on tiny specks of land. Then they spend the rest of their lives at sea. The existence is pelagic. The connection to land is brief. The return to water is permanent. The plumage is black above and white below. A white forehead contrasts sharply with the black cap. The tail is deeply forked. The bird is striking against the blue water and white sand. It is also very loud. The visual impact is high. The auditory impact is higher. The presence is undeniable. Feeding involves small fish and squid. The bird dips to the surface without landing. It cannot land on water. Its feathers are not waterproof enough. If it lands it drowns. The constraint is absolute. The adaptation is specific. The risk is fatal. The technique requires precision. The dip is shallow. The catch is quick. The flight continues. Flight is buoyant and elegant. Rapid wingbeats alternate with long glides. A sooty tern in the air is a study in grace. It soars over the waves. It turns with the wind. The movement is fluid. The control is innate. The air supports it completely. The ocean is its domain. Breeding takes place on remote islands. The nest is a shallow scrape in the sand or coral rubble. A single white egg is laid speckled with brown. Both parents share incubation duties. The chick is covered in grey down. The development is rapid. The departure is swift. The cycle repeats. The colonies are enormous. Millions of birds occupy a single island. The noise is deafening. The smell is overwhelming. The density is extreme. The chaos is total. The sensory experience is intense. It defines the location. In New Zealand these birds breed in the Kermadec Islands. The population is small. A few thousand pairs exist. They nest on Raoul Island and adjacent islets. The location is tropical. The distance is significant. The isolation is real. Sooty terns are sometimes seen from the mainland. They are rare vagrants. Birds have wandered further south than usual. The occurrence is infrequent. The sighting is notable. The deviation is accidental. This species is known as the 'wideawake' tern. It calls constantly day and night. The sound resembles 'wide-a-wake' repeated over and over. The name is descriptive. It reflects the behaviour. The vocalisation is persistent. It does not stop. The colony is never silent. The noise is continuous. It marks the presence. This is a bird of the tropics. It comes to New Zealand only at the very northern edge. The Kermadecs are the limit. The range does not extend further. The climate defines the boundary. The bird stays within it. It carries on.