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Antarctic Tern - BirdForum Opus

Revision as of 08:31, 20 June 2018 by Jmorlan (talk | contribs) (spelling)
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 Clark Dave Clark
Godthul on South Georgia Island, January 2012

Southern Oceans.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 6 subspecies[1]:

  • S. v. tristanensis:
  • Tristan da Cunha, Gough Island; Amsterdam Island and (possibly) St. Paul Island
  • S. v. georgiae:
  • South Georgia Island; possibly South Orkney and South Sandwich islands
  • S. v. gaini:
  • South Shetland Islands
  • S. v. vittata:
  • Prince Edward, Marion, Crozet and Kerguelen islands
Juvenile, subspecies tristanensisi.
Photo © by Joseph Morlan
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Tristan da Cunha, SH. 13 March 2018.
  • S. v. bethunei:
  • Stewart, Snares, Auckland, Bounty, Antipodes, Campbell islands
  • S. v. macquariensis:
  • Macquarie Island

S. v. macquariensis is not recognised by all authorities[2]

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.

Non-breeding adult.
Photo © by Max Holdt
Kleinmond, Cape, South Africa, December 2004

Habitat

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://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
  1. Avibase
  2. Wikipedia

Recommended Citation

External Links

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