From Opus

North American Black Tern, Fall plumage. Photo by Dmitry Mozzheri
Location: Long Island, New York

Chlidonias niger

[edit] Identification

Breeding (May - ca. July): Black head, breast and belly. Uniform grey back, wings and rump/tail. White undertail. Bill black. Dark legs.

Non-breeding: Underparts white, grey above. Falcon-like black hood. Characteristic black (or dark brown) line above shoulder, extending onto outer edges of breast. Legs orange/red. Bill black. Tail off-white with grey rump and upper tail coverts (white in White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus).

Juvenile: Like non-breeding adult but with distinct buff/lighter edges to back feathers and coverts.

Male in flight. Photo by Gary Clark
Location: Wainright, Alberta, Canada

[edit] Distribution

The range of the Black Tern is almost worldwide.

[edit] Taxonomy

Chlidonias niger has two subspecies:

• C. n. niger; and
• C. n. surinamensis.

[edit] Habitat

Freshwater lakes, gravel pits and reservoirs, marshes, wet grassland, seacoast and estuaries.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes insects, invertebrates and fish.

[edit] Breeding

They usually nest either on floating material in a marsh or on the ground very close to water, laying 2-4 eggs which are incubated for 21-22 days. The young fledge 19-25 days later.

Male in flight. Photo by Gary Clark
Location: Wainright, Alberta, Canada

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

Lepage D. 2008. Avibase. Search for "Black Tern" downloaded 29 April 2008.

[edit] External Links