Black Tern

Chlidonias nigerOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Codes: Common Name: BLTE Scientific Name: CHLNIG ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176959

Breeding Location:

Marshes, Prairies, shortgrass

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial

Breeding Population:

Common to fairly common

Egg Color:

Buff to olive with black, brown and green blotches

Number of Eggs:

2 - 4

Incubation Days:

17 - 22

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Dead plants.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Black Tern: Small tern with black head and underparts. Back, wings, and tail are silver-gray. Vent is white; legs are dark red but may appear black. Sexes are similar. Winter adult is pale gray above with black patch covering ears and nape on a white head. Juvenile is similar to winter adult but has a scaled appearance.

Range and Habitat

Black Tern: Nests across northern U.S. and southern Canada; spends winters in South America. Preferred habitats include lakes, ponds, marshes, and coastal areas.

Breeding and Nesting

Black Tern: Two to four buff to olive eggs with black, brown and green blotches are laid in a floating nest made of dead plants. Nest is sometimes built on top of a muskrat house. Incubation ranges from 17 to 22 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Black Tern: Feeds on insects, crayfish, small mollusks, and fish. Forages by seizing prey at or near the water surface, darting quickly into the water from the air with the bill pointed down; also catches insects in air, especially during swarms.

Vocalization

Black Tern: Call is a high pitched, shrill, metallic sound given frequently, especially when intruders are near nest.

Similar Species

Black Tern: White-winged Tern, accidental in U.S., has white upperwings, white rump and tail, and black axillaries in breeding plumage.

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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.

Black Tern

Black Tern: Small tern with black head, bill and underparts. Back, wings, and tail are silver-gray. Vent is white; legs and feet are dark red but may appear black. Bouyant direct flight with deep rapid wing beats, hovers for insects. Uneven foraging flight. Plunge dives on occasion.

● Song: "ka-sheek", "kik-kik-kik"

● Foraging & Feeding: Black Tern: Feeds on insects, crayfish, small mollusks, and fish. Forages by seizing prey at or near the water surface, darting quickly into the water from the air with the bill pointed down; also catches insects in air, especially during swarms.

● Breeding & nesting: Black Tern: Two to four buff to olive eggs with black, brown and green blotches are laid in a floating nest made of dead plants. Nest is sometimes built on top of a muskrat house. Incubation ranges from 17 to 22 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Black Tern: White-winged Tern, accidental in U.S., has white upperwings, white rump and tail, and black axillaries in breeding plumage.

Flight Pattern

Buoyant flight with steady fast wing beats.

● Range & Habitat: Black Tern: Nests across northern U.S. and southern Canada; spends winters in South America. Preferred habitats include lakes, ponds, marshes, and coastal areas.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial

^PopulationCommon to fairly common

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight2.3 Ounces

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

Vent

Birds do not have two separate cavities for excrement and reproduction like humans do. In birds, there is one single entrance/exit that suits both functions called the vent, cloaca or anus.

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

Black Tern

Breeding Location:

Breeding Type:

Breeding Population:

Egg Color:

Number of Eggs:

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Nest Material:

Migration:

Recommended Products:

General

Range and Habitat

Breeding and Nesting

Foraging and Feeding

Vocalization

Similar Species

Black Tern

Flight Pattern