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Difference between revisions of "Great Crested Tern" - BirdForum Opus

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(Video link. References updated)
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==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
 
[[Image:Crested Tern3.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo by {{user|Mzungu|Mzungu}}<br />Wellington Point, [[Queensland]], [[Australia]], February 2014]]
 
[[Image:Crested Tern3.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Juvenile<br />Photo by {{user|Mzungu|Mzungu}}<br />Wellington Point, [[Queensland]], [[Australia]], February 2014]]
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Some authorities place this species in the genus [[:Category:Sterna|Sterna]].
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Like its relatives, this species was formerly placed in the genus [[:Category:Sterna|Sterna]].
 
====Subspecies====
 
====Subspecies====
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''Sterna bergii'' has six subspecies:<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>
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''Thalasseus bergii'' has six subspecies:<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>
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*''S. b. bergii''
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*''T. b. bergii''
 
:*[[Namibia]] and [[South Africa]]; disperses to [[Mozambique]]
 
:*[[Namibia]] and [[South Africa]]; disperses to [[Mozambique]]
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*''S. b. enigma''
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*''T. b. enigma''
 
:*Islands off [[Mozambique]], Zambezi River delta and [[Madagascar]]
 
:*Islands off [[Mozambique]], Zambezi River delta and [[Madagascar]]
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*''S. b. thalassinus ''
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*''T. b. thalassinus ''
 
:*[[Tanzania]], [[Seychelles]], Aldabra and Rodriques Island
 
:*[[Tanzania]], [[Seychelles]], Aldabra and Rodriques Island
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*''S. b. velox''
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*''T. b. velox''
 
:*Red Sea and north-western [[Somalia]] to [[Maldives]], [[Myanmar]] and [[Sri Lanka]]
 
:*Red Sea and north-western [[Somalia]] to [[Maldives]], [[Myanmar]] and [[Sri Lanka]]
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*''S. b. cristatus''
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*''T. b. cristatus''
 
:*[[Malaysia]] to [[Philippines]] and Ryukyus; eastern [[Australia]] to Society Islands
 
:*[[Malaysia]] to [[Philippines]] and Ryukyus; eastern [[Australia]] to Society Islands
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*''S. b. gwendolenae''
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*''T. b. gwendolenae''
 
:*Western and north-western [[Australia]]
 
:*Western and north-western [[Australia]]
 
[[Image:Great Crested Tern2.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|Dave+2x|Dave 2x}}<br />Keelung, [[Taiwan]], August 2013]]
 
[[Image:Great Crested Tern2.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|Dave+2x|Dave 2x}}<br />Keelung, [[Taiwan]], August 2013]]
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{{Video|Greater_Crested_Tern Use "Greater Crested Tern" to}}
 
{{Video|Greater_Crested_Tern Use "Greater Crested Tern" to}}
  
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Sterna]] [[Category:Thalasseus]] [[Category:Videos]]
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[[Category:Birds]][[Category:Thalasseus]] [[Category:Videos]]

Revision as of 19:52, 14 June 2016

Alternative name: Swift Tern, Greater Crested Tern

Photo by Karim Madoya
Lokawi, Sabah, Malaysia, March 2007
Thalasseus bergii

Sterna bergii

Identification

A large (43–53 cm) tern with a black cap that crests behind the head, bright white underparts, and gray back and wings.
The bill is long, yellow, and slightly down-curved.
Wings are long, extending behind the tail when not in flight.
Legs black.

Distribution

Non-breeding plumage
Photo by SeeToh
Pulau Ubin, Singapore, October 2011

Coasts of Africa, southern Asia and Australasia:
Northern Africa: occurs only in Egypt
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Mozambique, Namibia
South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal
African Islands: Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles
Middle East: Israel, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Socotra, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran
Asia: China, Pakistan, India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Japan, Taiwan
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Malay Peninsula, Brunei, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Greater Sundas, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas, Bali, West Timor, East Timor
Australasia: New Guinea, Papua New Guinea, Australia: New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, Polynesia, Melanesia, Samoa, Micronesia, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga, New Caledonia, Micronesia

Taxonomy

Juvenile
Photo by Mzungu
Wellington Point, Queensland, Australia, February 2014

Like its relatives, this species was formerly placed in the genus Sterna.

Subspecies

Thalasseus bergii has six subspecies:[1]

  • T. b. bergii
  • T. b. enigma
  • T. b. thalassinus
  • T. b. velox
  • T. b. cristatus
  • T. b. gwendolenae
Photo by Dave 2x
Keelung, Taiwan, August 2013

Habitat

Tropical coasts and islands.

Behaviour

Forages by plunging from several meters above the surface to take fish. Noisy, often in flocks. A common tern in its range.

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of fish, but squid, crabs, turtles etc are also taken if the chance arises.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Gill, F, M Wright and D Donsker. 2009. IOC World Bird Names (version 2.0). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
  3. Avibase
  4. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2014)

Recommended Citation

External Links


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