From Opus

Photo of breeding plumaged bird by scottishdude
Goa, India, March 2009

Sterna nilotica

Gelochelidon nilotica

[edit] Identification

41cm

• Black bill
• Black cap
• Grey upperparts
• Black legs

[edit] Similar Species

The Sandwich Tern has a black bill with a yellow tip.

Photo of winter plumaged bird by Gashead
Dubai creek, United Arab Emirates, November 2004

[edit] Distribution

Almost world-wide.

Annual passage migrant mostly to the south coast of the British Isles

[edit] Taxonomy

Six subspecies are recognized^[1]:

• nilotica:

• Palearctic; winters tropical Africa and Persian Gulf to India

• addenda:

• Transbaikalia to Manchuria and eastern China; winters South-eastern Asia

• macrotarsa:

• Australia (except arid areas)

Juvenile
Photo by AJDH
Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, July 2006

• arenea:

• Eastern US to Greater Antilles and Yucatán; winters to Brazil and Peru

• groenvoldi:

• Coasts and rivers of French Guiana to north-eastern Argentina

• vanrossemi:

• California to northern Baja and north-western Mexico; winters to Ecuador

Several newer resourses have reassigned this species to genus Gelochelidon; if more follow the lead, Opus will as well.

[edit] Habitat

Prefers sandy seashore but also overwinters near inland waters (lagoons, marshes, lakes, rivers etc).

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet consists mostly of insects, but also feeds on frogs and small mammals.

[edit] Breeding

Breeds colonially in a variety of habitats: lakes, fresh and saline marshes. Also mountain lakes to a height of around 2000m.

[edit] References

1. 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
2. Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
3. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
4. Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6

• List of references

[edit] External Links