General

Gull-billed Tern: The lightest North American tern. Black cap that extends below the eyes and down the nape, and pale gray upperparts that are darker at the wingtips; short, stout black bill and long black legs; long wings with very long outer primaries.

Range and Habitat

Gull-billed Tern: Fairly common, but local; Salton Sea and San Diego County in California, and along Atlantic Coast.

Breeding and Nesting

Gull-billed Tern: Monogamous; colonial or solitary. Often nest at periphery of other tern species' colonies. Nest on open ground, often concealed in debris among shells, built by both sexes; one to four pink buff to yellow eggs lightly spotted with dark brown. Incubation ranges from 22 to 23 days and is carried out by both sexes. Young fledge in 28-35 days. One brood per year.

Foraging and Feeding

Gull-billed Tern: Flies over farm fields or marshes to catch insects, its main diet. Over water, swoops to catch small prey; also eats frogs, crustaceans, and earthworms.

Vocalization

Gull-billed Tern: Call is "kay-WEK." Also raspy "ge-rek," or "kay-tih-DID." Alarm is rasping "aach."

Similar Species

Gull-billed Tern: Forster's Tern has more slender body, slender, more pointed wings, deeply forked tail, mostly orange bill, and orange legs and feet. Sandwich tern has crest, long slender black bill with yellow tip.