Sooty Tern

Onychoprion fuscatus

Order

CHARADRIIFORMES

Family

Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Code 4

SOTE

Code 6

ONYFUS

ITIS

HEAD

Bill Shape: All-purpose
Eye Color: Brown.
Head Pattern: Eyeline, Unique pattern
Crown Color: Brown-black
Forehead Color: White
Nape Color: Brown-black
Throat Color: White
Cere color: No Data

BODY

Length Range: 36-41 cm (14-16 in)
Weight: 179 g (6.3 oz)
Size: 3. Medium (9 - 16 in)
Color Primary: White, Black
Underparts: White
Upperparts: Brown-black
Back Pattern: Solid
Belly Pattern: Solid
Breast Pattern: Solid

FLIGHT

Flight Pattern: Powerful direct flight with strong, steady, shallow wing beats. When feeding, graceful, buoyant flight, then hovers before downward swoop to pick food from surface. Does not plunge-dive.
Wingspan Range: 81-93 cm (32-36.5 in)
Wing Shape: Broad-Wings, Pointed-Wings
Tail Shape: Forked Tail
Tail Pattern: Dark Green
Upper Tail: Brown-black
Under Tail: White
Leg Color: Black

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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 forbidden2.

Field Guide to Birds of North America