- Sterna caspia
Identification
48–56 cm. White head, neck, belly, tail, cap is black in breeding plumage, mottled with white in winter and in juvenile, pale grey back and upper wings, pale, dark tipped underwings, black legs, red-orange bill.
Distribution
North America, West Indies and northern South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1] in spite of its cosmopolitan range (some authorities do recognize two subspecies: caspia and imperator).
Sometimes Caspian Tern is considered part of genus Hydroprogne; this is the case with those authorities recently updated, so it is likely that Opus in the future will have to change as well.
Habitat
Large lakes and ocean coasts.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes fish, insects, eggs and young birds.
Breeding
They are ground nesters; 1-3 pale blue green eggs heavily spotted brown are laid.
Vocalisation
The call is a loud croak.
<flashmp3>Sterna caspia (song).mp3</flashmp3>
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References
- Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019
Wikipedia
