Antarctic Tern - BirdForum Opus

Breeding adult, subspecies tristanensis.
Photo © by Joseph Morlan
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha, SH. 13 March 2018.

Sterna vittata

Identification

31-38 cm.

• Pale grey and white
• Black cap when breeding otherwise streaked with white
• Greyish black wing tips
• Dark red or blackish bill.
  

Juveniles:belly, foreneck, forehead, and breast are white. Grey back, black bill, orange-red legs and feet.

Distribution

Adult, subspecies georgiae
Photo © by Dave Clark
Godthul on South Georgia Island, January 2012

Southern Oceans.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 6 subspecies^[1]:

• S. v. tristanensis:

• Breeds Tristan da Cunha and Gough Island (south Atlantic)

• S. v. sanctipauli:

• Breeds Amsterdam and St. Paul Islands (southern Indian Ocean)

• S. v. georgiae:

• Breeds South Georgia Island, South Orkney Islands, South Sandwich Islands, and Bouvet Island

• S. v. gaini:

• Breeds South Shetland Islands, also on the Antarctic Peninsula (south to Marguerite Bay)

• S. v. vittata:

• Breeds Prince Edward Island, Marion Island, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen islands, and Heard Island (southern Indian Ocean)

Juvenile, subspecies tristanensis.
Photo © by Joseph Morlan
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha, SH. 13 March 2018.

• S. v. bethunei:

• Breeds Stewart Island, Snares Islands, Auckland Islands, Campbell Island, Macquarie Island, Bounty Islands, and Antipodes Islands

S. v. macquariensis is no longer recognized.

Habitat

Coasts and sea.

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes fish.

Breeding

Up to 3 eggs are laid in a shallow pebble-or shell-lined scrape on the ground, between October and January.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Gochfeld, M., Burger, J. & Garcia, E.F.J. (2018). Antarctic Tern (Sterna vittata). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/54027 on 13 June 2018).
3. Higgins, P.J.; Davies, S.J.J.F. (Eds.) 1996. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds. Vol. 3. Snipe to Pigeons. Oxford University Press: Melbourne
4. Jaramillo, A. 2003. Birds of Chile. Princeton & Oxford: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691117409
5. Sagar, P.M. 2013. Antarctic tern. In Miskelly, C.M. (ed.) New Zealand Birds Online. http://www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz
6. Shirihai, H. 2008. Complete Guide to Antarctic Wildlife: Birds and Marine Mammals of the Antarctic Continent and the Southern Ocean. Princeton & Oxford: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691136660
7. Avibase

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2023) Antarctic Tern. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 December 2023 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Antarctic_Tern

External Links

Search for photos of Antarctic Tern in the gallery

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.