Black Tern
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| iBlack Tern | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
| Chlidonias niger (Linnaeus, 1758) |
||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
The Black Tern, Chlidonias niger, is a small tern.
Length 25 cm (9.75 in), wing span 61 cm (24 in), weight 62 g (2.2 oz).
Adult birds have short dark legs and a short black bill. They have a dark grey back, with black head, neck and belly with a light grey tail. In non-breeding plumage, most of the black, apart from the cap, is replaced by grey.
The North American race, C. n. surinamensis, is distinguishable from the European form in all plumages, and is considered by some to be a separate species.
Their breeding habitat is freshwater marshes across most of Canada, the northern United States and much of Europe and western Asia. They usually nest either on floating material in a marsh or on the ground very close to water, laying 2-4 eggs.
North American Black terns migrate to the coasts of northern South America, some to the open ocean. Old World birds winter in Africa.
Unlike the "white" Sterna terns, these birds do not dive for fish, but forage on the wing picking up items at or near the water's surface or catching insects in flight. They mainly eat insects and fish.
The North American population has declined in recent times due to loss of habitat.
Point Pele Provincial Park in Canada boasts a robust population of black terns. Mother terns can get pretty protective of their young, so you might find yourself fending off terns during spring visits to the park. Warning signs are posted.
The Black Tern is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Chlidonias niger. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 09 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- "National Geographic" Field Guide to the Birds of North America ISBN 0-792-26877-6
- Seabirds, an Identification Guide by Peter Harrison, ISBN 0-7470-8028-8
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Vol 3, Josep del Hoyo editor, ISBN 84-87334-10-5
- "National Audubon Society" The Sibley Guide to Birds, by David Allen Sibley, ISBN 0-679-45122-6
