Black-naped Tern - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Karim Madoya
Lokawi Seashore, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, August 2006

Sterna sumatrana

Identification

30cm

• White face and breast
• Greyish-white back and wings
• Black nape band
• Black spot in front of eye
• Black bill with yellow tip
• Black legs and feet
• Brown iris
• Long forked tail

Photo by M Kwan
Eastern Waters Hong Kong, August 2008

Young birds: mottled brown crown, blackish mottling on nape.
Juvenile: nape and sides of head greyish brown, brownish upperparts with buff and grey scallops, whitish rump, rounded tail, yellow bill and feet.

Distribution

Pacific and Indian Oceans. Breeds on Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles, Fiji and Samoa.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

There are 2 subspecies:

• S. s. sumatrana:

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands to Japan, Malaysia and Australasia

• S. s. mathewsi:

• Aldabra, Amirante, Chagos and Maldive islands

Habitat

Sea coasts, mudflats and harbours. It is rarely found inland.

Behaviour

Breeding

The nest is a ground scrape in the sand or gravel on rocky islets. The clutch consists of 1 or 2 eggs.

Vocalisation

Voice: sharp tsii-chee-chi-chip
Alarm call: chit-chit-chitrer

References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Forestry.sarawak.gov
3. Andaman Birdwatching

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-naped Tern. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-naped_Tern

External Links

Search for photos of Black-naped Tern in the gallery