General

Bridled Tern: Medium-sized pelagic tern with long pointed wings and long, deeply forked tail. Black crown and and nape separated from gray-brown upperparts by whitish collar. Chevron-shaped white forehead patch that extends behind eye. Whitish underparts; underwings have brown trailing edge. Black bill and legs. Sexes similar.

Range and Habitat

Bridled Tern: Pelagic. Breeds April - August in Florida Keys. Found in Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico and along shoreward edge of Gulf Stream north to North Carolina, rarely as far as New Jersey.

Breeding and Nesting

Bridled Tern: Monogamous; colonial. Common Caribbean species, nests off Florida Keys (Pelican Shoals). Single white to pale buff egg marked with brown, hidden on ground under matted plant material. Incubation ranges from 28 to 30 days and is carried out by both sexes. Young fed by both sexes, fledge at 55-63 days.

Foraging and Feeding

Bridled Tern: Eats small fish, squid, crustaceans, and insects. Hovers over water, swoops down to pick food from surface. Does not plunge dive. Feeds day or night.

Vocalization

Bridled Tern: Around nest "kowk-kowk," kwawk-kwawk," or "kahrrr." Rising nasal "weeep," or crowlike "wep-wep-wep," or "wup-wup."

Similar Species

Bridled Tern: Sooty Tern is larger, heavier in build, shorter tail, will alight on sea surface. Sooty Tern's white forehead patch does not extend beyond eye.