|
More About Terns and Ternlets ...
|
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily Sterninae of the gull family Laridae. They are less closely related to the waders, auks and skimmers. They have a worldwide distribution.
Most terns belong to the large genus Sterna, with the other genera being small, though some authorities split the genus Sterna into several smaller genera (see list, below).
Many terns breeding in temperate zones are long-distance migrants, and the Arctic Tern probably sees more daylight than any other creature, since it migrates from its northern breeding grounds to Antarctic waters. One Arctic Tern, ringed as a chick (not yet able to fly) on the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast in eastern Britain in summer 1982, reached Melbourne, Australia in October 1982, a sea journey of over 22,000 km (14,000 miles) in just three months from fledging - an average of over 240 km per day, and one of the longest journeys ever recorded for a bird.
They are in general medium to large birds, typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. They have longish bills and webbed feet. They are lighter bodied and more streamlined than gulls, and look elegant in flight with long tails and long narrow wings. Terns in the genus Sterna have deeply forked tails, those in Chlidonias and Larosterna shallowly forked tails, while the noddies (genera Anous, Procelsterna, Gygis) have unusual 'notched wedge' shaped tails, the longest tail feathers being the middle-outer, not the central nor the outermost
Most terns (Sterna and the noddies) hunt fish by diving, often hovering first, but the marsh terns (Chlidonias) pick insects of the surface of fresh water. Terns only glide infrequently; a few species, notably Sooty Tern, will soar high above the sea. Apart from bathing, they only rarely swim, despite having webbed feet.
Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species now known to live in excess of 25-30 years.
|
|
Source: Wikipedia Read more about Terns and Ternlets
|
|
|
INFO LINKS
|
Caspian Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Caspian Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Elegant Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Elegant Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Gull-billed Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Gull-billed Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Least Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Least Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Roseate Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Roseate Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Royal Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Royal Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Least Tern
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Least Tern fact sheet Read More
|
Aleutian Tern
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Aleutian Tern. "The little-known Aleutian Tern usually nests among Arctic Terns, which are notoriously aggressive in defense of their nests". Read More
|
Black Tern
eNature.com
Categorized information on voice, habitat, nesting, range, etc."A medium-sized tern with solid black head and underparts" Read More
|
Forster's Tern
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Forster's Tern Read More
|
Least Tern
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information. "A very small tern with a black-tipped yellow bill and a fast, shallow wingbeat. White with black cap, pale gray back and wings, and forked tail".
Read More
|
Roseate Tern
eNature.com
Categorized inforamtion. "The subspecies of Roseate Tern that lives in North America, Sterna dougallii dougallii, is on the U.S. Endangered Species List". Read More
|
Royal Tern
eNature.com
Pictures, Sounds, and information about Royal Tern Read More
|
Sandwich Tern
eNature.com
"The Sandwich Tern is one of three crested terns occurring along our coasts. It breeds much farther north in Europe than it does in America because of the warming influence of the Gulf Stream" Categorized Information on voice, habitat, nesting, range, et Read More
|
Tern
alaska department of fish and game
"Terns are slim and graceful waterbirds, quite similar to gulls" Narrative on life history, feeding and behavior, populations, etc. Read More
|
Aleutian Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Aleutian Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Black Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Black Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Forster's Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Forster's Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Sandwich Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Sandwich Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Sooty Tern
Gough, G.A., Sauer, J.R., Iliff, M. Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter. 1998. Version 97.1. Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
USGS data sheet on Sooty Tern, including photographs, maps, taxonomy, identification tips, and life history information. Read More
|
Black Tern
Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology
Cool facts and description. "Unlike the familiar terns of the genus Sterna, Black Terns rarely plunge-dive". Read More
|
Arctic Tern
eNature.com
Categorized information on voice, habitat, nesting, range, etc."These terns annually perform spectacular migrations, every fall heading eastward across the Atlantic and down the west coasts of Europe and Africa to winter in the Antarctic Ocean". Read More
|
Caspian Tern
eNature.com
"The largest tern" Categorized information on voice, habitat, nesting, range, etc. Read More
|
Common Tern
eNature.com
Categorized information on voice, habitat, nesting, range, etc."White with black cap and pale gray back and wings". Read More
|
Elegant Tern
eNature.com
Categorized information on voice, habitat, nesting, range, etc.
"A large tern with a long orange or yellow bill". Read More
|
Gull-billed Tern
eNature.com
Categorized information on voice, habitat, nesting, range, etc."A pigeon sized tern that lives coastal marshes and sandy beaches". Read More
|
Large-Billed Tern
Rainforest Conservation Fund
Brief Narrative(includes range, habitat, niche, life history, etc.) and pictures of Large-Billed Tern."Terns are related to gulls, but are usually smaller, with narrower pointed bills, pointed wings and forked tails" Read More
|
Common Tern
Les Oiseaux du Québec (French)
About Common Tern Read More
|
Caspian Tern
Bird Friends Of Lake Murray And San Diego County
Caspian Tern pictures, description, and more Read More
|
Elegant Tern
Bird Friends Of Lake Murray And San Diego County
Elegant Tern pictures, description, and more Read More
|
Forster's Tern
Bird Friends Of Lake Murray And San Diego County
Forster's Tern pictures, description, and more Read More
|
Gull-Billed Tern
Bird Friends Of Lake Murray And San Diego County
Gull-Billed Tern pictures, description, and more Read More
|
Least Tern
Bird Friends Of Lake Murray And San Diego County
Least Tern pictures, description, and more Read More
|
Royal Tern
Bird Friends Of Lake Murray And San Diego County
Royal Tern pictures, description, and more Read More
|
White Tern
Bird Friends Of Lake Murray And San Diego County
White Tern pictures, description, and more Read More
|
Arctic Tern
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Extensive species account including range map, call details, 'cool facts', etc. Read More
|
|
