• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
Where premium quality meets exceptional value. ZEISS Conquest HDX.

Difference between revisions of "White-winged Tern" - BirdForum Opus

m (format)
(Photo captions updated)
 
(8 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Image:Chlidonias leucopterus by michha62.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Adult summer<br>Photo by {{user|michha62|michha62}}<br />Location: Biebrza, [[Poland]] ]]
+
'''Alternative name - White-winged Black Tern'''
 +
[[Image:Chlidonias leucopterus by michha62.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Adult summer<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|michha62|michha62}}<br />Biebrza, [[Poland]] ]]
 
;[[:Category:Chlidonias|Chlidonias]] leucopterus
 
;[[:Category:Chlidonias|Chlidonias]] leucopterus
 +
==Identification==
 +
[[Image:White-winged_Tern.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Adult summer in flight<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|zhangyong|zhangyong}}<br />Hebei, [[China]]]]
 +
A small marsh tern, 23-27 cm long, 58-67 cm wingspan, 42-79 g weight.<br />
 +
Short red legs, short dark red bill, black neck, pale gray belly, very dark grey back, white rump, light grey tail, yellowish face, white wings, inner wing is grey with brown-tipped [[Topography#General Anatomy|coverts]].
 +
 +
In non-breeding plumage, most of the black is replaced by white or pale grey; head with white forehead, black-brown crown, flecked with white, and the hindcrown is blackish with a certain amount of white flecking, broad and white collar; bill becomes black.
  
Alternative name - White-winged Black Tern
+
In juveniles and moulting adults, the rump is pale grey, becoming grey in both phases late in the year. The clear white collar and rump isolate the mantle as a dark brown 'saddle'. The mantle feathers have narrow paler brown tips, as have the tertials and scapulars.<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>
==Identification==
 
[[Image:White-winged_Tern.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Adult summer in flight<br>Photo by {{user|zhangyong|zhangyong}}<br>Location: Hebei, [[China]]]]
 
A small marsh tern, 23-27 cm long, 58-67 cm wingspan, 42-79 g weight.<br>
 
Short red legs, short black bill, black neck, pale gray belly, very dark grey back, white rump, light grey tail, yellowish face, white wings, inner wing is grey with brown-tipped coverts. In non-breeding plumage, most of the black is replaced by white or pale grey; head with white forehead, black-brown crown, flecked with white, and the hindcrown is blackish with a certain amount of white flecking, broad and white collar. In juveniles and moulting adults, the rump is pale grey, becoming grey in both phases late in the year. The clear white collar and rump isolate the mantle as a dark brown 'saddle'. The mantle feathers have narrow paler brown tips, as have the tertials and scapulars.<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>
 
  
 
====Similar species====
 
====Similar species====
[[Image:Chlidonias leucopterus by SeeToh.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Adult winter<br>Photo by {{user|SeeToh|SeeToh}}<br>Location: Singapore; October 2014]]
+
[[Black Tern]] is easily distinguished in breeding plumage by its dark grey wings and black bill.
[[Black Tern]] is easily distinguished in breeding plumage by its dark grey wings and black bill. Juvenile and winter birds are more difficult, with the black half-collar and grey rump of Black Tern picking it out from the white neck and rump of White-winged Tern. [[Whiskered Tern]] is also a potential confusion species in winter plumage, best distinguished by its head pattern (white crown and dark mark through its eye, more like a miniature [[Gull-billed Tern]]) and pale grey rump.
+
 
 +
Juvenile and winter birds are more difficult, with the black half-collar and grey rump of Black Tern picking it out from the white neck and rump of White-winged Tern.
 +
 
 +
[[Whiskered Tern]] is also a potential confusion species in winter plumage, best distinguished by its head pattern (white crown and dark mark through its eye, more like a miniature [[Gull-billed Tern]]) and pale grey rump.
  
 
==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
[[Image:Chlidonias leucopterus by tracker.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br>Photo by {{user|tracker|tracker}}<br>Location: Liverpool, UK; September 2005]]
+
[[Image:Chlidonias leucopterus by SeeToh.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Adult winter<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|SeeToh|SeeToh}}<br />[[Singapore]]; October 2014]]
 
Breeds in well-vegetated wetlands in southern and eastern [[Europe]] (eastwards from the Po Valley in [[Italy]] and [[Poland]] eastwards across central [[Asia]] to southeasternmost [[Russia]]. The largest populations are on the steppes of [[Kazakhstan]] and southern Russia.
 
Breeds in well-vegetated wetlands in southern and eastern [[Europe]] (eastwards from the Po Valley in [[Italy]] and [[Poland]] eastwards across central [[Asia]] to southeasternmost [[Russia]]. The largest populations are on the steppes of [[Kazakhstan]] and southern Russia.
  
Line 24: Line 30:
  
 
==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
 +
[[Image:Chlidonias leucopterus by tracker.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo &copy; by {{user|tracker|tracker}}<br />Liverpool, [[UK]]; 12 September 2005]]
 
In or near bodies of fresh water and freshwater marshes.
 
In or near bodies of fresh water and freshwater marshes.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==
Line 31: Line 38:
 
The diet mainly comprises insects and crustaceans, and to a lesser extent small fish.  
 
The diet mainly comprises insects and crustaceans, and to a lesser extent small fish.  
 
====Vocalisation====
 
====Vocalisation====
<flashmp3>Chlidonias leucopterus (song).mp3</flashmp3><br />
+
{{ Audio|Chlidonias leucopterus (song).mp3 }}
''[[Media:Chlidonias leucopterus (song).mp3|Listen in an external program]]''
+
 
 
==References==
 
==References==
#{{Ref-HBWVol3}}#{{Ref-Clements6thDec10}}
+
#{{Ref-HBWVol3}}#{{Ref-Clements6thOct22}}
#Wikipedia
 
 
{{ref}}
 
{{ref}}
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
{{GSearch|Chlidonias+leucopterus}}
+
{{GSearch|"Chlidonias leucopterus" {{!}} "White-winged Tern" {{!}} "White-winged Black Tern"}}
 +
{{GS-checked}}1
 +
<br />
 
<br />
 
<br />
{{Video|White-winged_Tern}}
 
  
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Chlidonias]][[Category:Bird Songs]] [[Category:Videos]]
+
[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Chlidonias]][[Category:Bird Songs]]

Latest revision as of 08:10, 26 May 2023

Alternative name - White-winged Black Tern

Adult summer
Photo © by michha62
Biebrza, Poland
Chlidonias leucopterus

Identification

Adult summer in flight
Photo © by zhangyong
Hebei, China

A small marsh tern, 23-27 cm long, 58-67 cm wingspan, 42-79 g weight.
Short red legs, short dark red bill, black neck, pale gray belly, very dark grey back, white rump, light grey tail, yellowish face, white wings, inner wing is grey with brown-tipped coverts.

In non-breeding plumage, most of the black is replaced by white or pale grey; head with white forehead, black-brown crown, flecked with white, and the hindcrown is blackish with a certain amount of white flecking, broad and white collar; bill becomes black.

In juveniles and moulting adults, the rump is pale grey, becoming grey in both phases late in the year. The clear white collar and rump isolate the mantle as a dark brown 'saddle'. The mantle feathers have narrow paler brown tips, as have the tertials and scapulars.[1]

Similar species

Black Tern is easily distinguished in breeding plumage by its dark grey wings and black bill.

Juvenile and winter birds are more difficult, with the black half-collar and grey rump of Black Tern picking it out from the white neck and rump of White-winged Tern.

Whiskered Tern is also a potential confusion species in winter plumage, best distinguished by its head pattern (white crown and dark mark through its eye, more like a miniature Gull-billed Tern) and pale grey rump.

Distribution

Adult winter
Photo © by SeeToh
Singapore; October 2014

Breeds in well-vegetated wetlands in southern and eastern Europe (eastwards from the Po Valley in Italy and Poland eastwards across central Asia to southeasternmost Russia. The largest populations are on the steppes of Kazakhstan and southern Russia.

Winters also on freshwater (unlike Black Tern, which mainly winters at sea), throughout sub-saharan Africa, across southern Asia and northern and eastern Australia; small numbers reach New Zealand, where it has also bred once[1].

Rare in western Europe on migration west to Ireland, also a vagrant in North America.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[2]..

Habitat

Juvenile
Photo © by tracker
Liverpool, UK; 12 September 2005

In or near bodies of fresh water and freshwater marshes.

Behaviour

Nesting

They build a nest of small reed stems and other vegetation, placed either on floating vegetation in a marsh or on the ground very close to water. Two to four eggs are laid.

Diet

The diet mainly comprises insects and crustaceans, and to a lesser extent small fish.

Vocalisation

References

  1. Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and J Sargatal, eds. 1996. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 3: Hoatzin to Auks. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334207
  2. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/

Recommended Citation

External Links

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

Back
Top