|
Sternula
''Sternula'' is a genus of small white terns, with a global distribution along sheltered sandy coasts and large rivers. The seven species are all closely related, with similar plumage and size, all are between 22–28 cm long and 39–63 g weight. All are pale grey above, and white or very pale grey below; in all the outer primaries are darker grey (to nearly blackish), but the number of primaries that are dark varies slightly between the species. Most have a distinctive head pattern in the breeding season, with a black crown and eyeline, and a white forehead; one (fairy tern) differs in lacking the black eye line, and one (Damara tern) has a fully black crown with no white forehead in the breeding season. The legs and bill are mostly yellow (with or without a black tip) in the breeding season, but black in Damara tern. In all species the winter plumage has a more extensive white forehead, the bill is black, and the legs darker red-brown to blackish. Although the genus was first ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fairy Tern
The fairy tern (''Sternula nereis'') is a small tern which is native to the southwestern Pacific. It is listed as " Vulnerable" by the IUCN and the New Zealand subspecies is "Critically Endangered". Fairy terns live in colonies along the coastlines and estuaries of Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia, feeding largely on small, epipelagic schooling fishes, breeding in areas close to their feeding sites. They have a monogamous mating system, forming breeding pairs in which they mate, nest, and care for offspring. There are three subspecies: * Australian fairy tern, ''Sternula nereis nereis'' ( Gould, 1843) – breeds in Australia * New Caledonian fairy tern, ''Sternula nereis exsul'' ( Mathews, 1912) – breeds in New Caledonia * New Zealand fairy tern / Tara iti, ''Sternula nereis davisae'' ( Mathews & Iredale, 1913) – breeds in northern New Zealand The three subspecies are distinguished by geographical range, and slight morphological differences. Gene flow between su ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sternula Albifrons
The little tern (''Sternula albifrons'') is a seabird of the family Laridae. It was first described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name ''Sterna albifrons''. It was moved to the genus ''Sternula'' when the genus ''Sterna'' was restricted to the larger typical terns. The genus name ''Sternula'' is a diminutive of ''Sterna'', 'tern', while the specific name ''albifrons'' is from Latin ''albus'', 'white', and ''frons'', 'forehead'. Distribution This bird breeds on the coasts and inland waterways of temperate and tropical Europe, Asia, north and west Africa, and eastern Australia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia. Subspecies There are four subspecies. * The nominate ''S. a. albifrons'' occurs in Europe to North Africa and western Asia * ''S. a. guineae'' of western Africa * ''S. a. sinensis'' in eastern Asia (SE Russia to Japan, SE Asia, Philippines) sou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Little Tern
The little tern (''Sternula albifrons'') is a seabird of the family Laridae. It was first described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name ''Sterna albifrons''. It was moved to the genus '' Sternula'' when the genus '' Sterna'' was restricted to the larger typical terns. The genus name ''Sternula'' is a diminutive of ''Sterna'', 'tern', while the specific name ''albifrons'' is from Latin ''albus'', 'white', and ''frons'', 'forehead'. Distribution This bird breeds on the coasts and inland waterways of temperate and tropical Europe, Asia, north and west Africa, and eastern Australia. It is strongly migratory, wintering in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia. Subspecies There are four subspecies. * The nominate ''S. a. albifrons'' occurs in Europe to North Africa and western Asia * ''S. a. guineae'' of western Africa * ''S. a. sinensis'' in eastern Asia (SE Russia to Japan, SE Asia, Philippines) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sternula Antillarum
The least tern (''Sternula antillarum'') is a species of tern that breeds in North America and locally in northern South America. It is closely related to, and was formerly often considered conspecific with, the little tern of the Old World. Other close relatives include the yellow-billed tern and Peruvian tern, both from South America. It is a small tern, long, with a wingspan of , and weighing . The upper parts are a fairly uniform pale gray, and the underparts white. The head is white, with a black cap and line through the eye to the base of the bill, and a small white forehead patch above the bill; in winter, the white forehead is more extensive, with a smaller and less sharply defined black cap. The bill is yellow with a small black tip in summer, all blackish in winter. The legs are yellowish. The wings are mostly pale gray, but with conspicuous black markings on their outermost primaries. It flies over water with fast, jerky wingbeats and a distinctive hunchback appeara ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sternula Superciliaris
The yellow-billed tern (''Sternula superciliaris'') is a small seabird found in South America. It is a species of tern in the family Laridae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...s, swamps, and freshwater lakes. Description It measures approximately 23–25 centimeters in body length and weighs 40–57 grams.Gochfeld, M., Burger, J., Garcia, E.F.J. & Boesman, P. (2018). Yellow-billed Tern (Sternula superciliaris). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. It has a yellow beak and feet, silvery grey wings and white underbody and forehead. Its crown, nape, and eyeline are black. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sternula Saundersi
Saunders's tern (''Sternula saundersi''), sometimes known as the black-shafted tern, is a species of bird in the family Laridae. It is sparsely resident along the shores of the north-western Indian Ocean (namely southern Somalia, Arabian Peninsula, Socotra, Pakistan, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and northern Sri Lanka). It is a close relative of the little tern, least tern, yellow-billed tern, and Peruvian tern. In non-breeding plumages, the Saunder's tern and the little tern may be almost indistinguishable. The two have been considered by some to be conspecific. Description Saunders's tern shares many of the features of its close relative, the little tern, including a white body, a black-tipped yellow bill, and a black cap with a white forehead patch. In its breeding plumage, it distinguishes itself with a straight-bordered forehead patch, possessing more black outer primaries, and duskier colored legs and feet in comparison to the bright yellow legs of the little tern. In n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peruvian Tern
The Peruvian tern (''Sternula lorata'') is a species of tern in the family Laridae. Found in northern Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, its natural habitats are hot deserts, sandy shores, and coastal saline lagoons. It is threatened by habitat loss. In Spanish, it is known as the "charrancito Peruano" or "gaviotín chico". Description The Peruvian tern is a very small species with a length of about . The upper half of the head and neck are black, and the remaining part of the head is white. The back, wings and tail are grey, the throat, chin and breast are white, and the chest, belly and flanks are pale grey. The under tail-coverts are white. The bill is yellow with a black tip, the irises are brown and the legs are yellowish. The pale grey underparts differentiate it from other small terns. It has a very rapid and characteristic wingbeat. The call is a shrill "kik" and a harsh "gree", and it also utters a descending series of "kee-ee-eer" notes. Distribution This species is endemic to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
