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Bird name:

Large-billed Tern

Phaetusa simplex

Order

CHARADRIIFORMES

Family

Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Code 4

LBTE

Code 6

PHASIM

ITIS

176948

Breeding Location:

Lakes, Rivers, Coastal, sea

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Rare in North America

Egg Color:

Pale gray to olive brown with brown blotches

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

27 - 30

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

None

Migration:

Nonmigratory

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General

Large-billed Tern: Dark gray mantle and short dark gray tail; black cap; white breast, belly, chin, cheeks, and throat; black primaries to the bend of the wing are striking in flight; white secondaries; distinctive large yellow bill.

Range and Habitat

Large-billed Tern: South American fresh water species; has been seen in Illinois, Ohio, and New Jersey.

Breeding and Nesting

Large-billed Tern: Monogamous; colonial; often in mixed colonies with other terns and skimmers. No nest material; eggs hidden in grasses and reeds; two pale gray to olive brown eggs with brown blotches. Incubation ranges from 27 to 30 days and is carried out by both sexes; young fed by both parents; first flight at 55-65 days; one brood per year.

Foraging and Feeding

Large-billed Tern: Eats fish and aquatic invertebrates; catches insects in flight; plunges into water. Frequents fresh water rivers and larger lakes, also along sea coasts.

Vocalization

Large-billed Tern: Goose-like honk; also quiet "cluck-cluck."

Similar Species

Large-billed Tern: No similar species in North America.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Chin

The area of the face just below the bill.

Mantle

The upper surface of the back and wings covered with shorter feathers.

Primaries

The primaries are the flight feathers specialized for flight. They are attached to the "hand" equivalent part of the wing.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America