- Sterna sumatrana
Identification
30cm
- White face and breast
- Greyish-white back and wings
- Black nape band
- Black spot in front of eye
- Black bill with yellow tip
- Black legs and feet
- Brown iris
- Long forked tail
Young birds: mottled brown crown, blackish mottling on nape.
Juvenile: nape and sides of head greyish brown, brownish upperparts with buff and grey scallops, whitish rump, rounded tail, yellow bill and feet.
Distribution
Pacific and Indian Oceans. Breeds on Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Fiji and Samoa.
Taxonomy
Subspecies
There are 2 subspecies[1]:
- S. s. sumatrana:
- S. s. mathewsi:
- Aldabra, Amirante, Chagos and Maldive islands
Habitat
Sea coasts, mudflats and harbours. It is rarely found inland.
Behaviour
Breeding
The nest is a ground scrape in the sand or gravel on rocky islets. The clutch consists of 1 or 2 eggs.
Vocalisation
Voice: sharp tsii-chee-chi-chip
Alarm call: chit-chit-chitrer
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Forestry.sarawak.gov
- Andaman Birdwatching
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Black-naped Tern. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 14 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-naped_Tern
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
