- Sternula lorata
Sterna lorata
Identification
- White forehead, throat and chin
- Black cap
- Black stripe through eye to beak
- Pale grey upperparts
- Paler underparts
- Yellow bill and legs
- Bill tipped black
Distribution
Very rare.
Central Ecuador to North Chile.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species. Like all Sternula species, it was formerly placed in the genus Sterna
Habitat
Sandy beaches and sand dunes.
Behaviour
Breeding
Nests are scrapes in the sand, 1-2 eggs are laid and are incubated for 22-23 days. Many eggs do not hatch and usually only one chick is raised.
Diet
Includes small fish, particularly anchovies and krill. Like several other terns, this bird often feeds by hovering over water and then plunge-diving to snatch its prey.
References
- 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
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Peruvian Tern. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 25 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Peruvian_Tern
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1
