- Onychoprion fuscatus
Sterna fuscata
Identification
36–45 cm (14¼-17¾ in)
- Dark grey upperparts
- White underparts
- Long, forked tail
- Long wings
- Black legs and bill
Juveniles have scaly grey plumage
Similar Species
Bridled Tern differs in having upper back contrastingly paler than rear head. Notice that Sooty Tern becomes more Bridled Tern-like in winter.
Distribution
Tropical (and sometimes subtropical) oceans all around the globe.
Taxonomy
Sooty Tern, Bridled Tern, Grey-backed Tern and Aleutian Tern are each others closest relatives; all four were previously included in the genus Sterna.
Subspecies
Seven subspecies are recognized[1]:
- O. f. fuscatus:
- Gulf of Mexico, eastern Mexico and West Indies; Gulf of Guinea islands
- O. f. nubilosus:
- Southern Red Sea and Indian Ocean to Ryukyu Island, Indonesia, and the Philippines
- O. f. serratus:
- O. f. kermadeci:
- Kermadec Islands
- O. f. oahuensis:
- Bonin Islands to Hawaii and South Pacific islands
- O. f. crissalis:
- Islands off western Mexico and Central America to Galapagos Islands
- O. f. luctuosus:
- Juan Fernández Islands (off Chile)
Habitat
Open sea, but they breed in colonies on rocky or coral islands. They are rarely seen on land, apart from when breeding.
Behaviour
Breeding
The nest is a ground scrape or hole. The clutch consists of 1-3 eggs.
Diet
It feeds by picking fish from the sea surface. Their diet consists mainly of fish, squid and crustaceans, with insects and offal taken on occasion.
References
- 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/
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Sooty Tern. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 15 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Sooty_Tern
External Links
Search for scientific name Onychoprion:
Search for scientific name Sterna:
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