Caspian Tern

Hydroprogne caspiaOrder: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Codes: Common Name: CATE Scientific Name: HYDCAS ITIS Taxonomic No.: 176935

Breeding Location:

Seashore, rocky or sandy

Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial, Rarely solitary

Breeding Population:

Stable

Egg Color:

Pink buff with brown markings

Number of Eggs:

1 - 3

Incubation Days:

20 - 28

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Lined with shell fragments and grass.

Migration:

Migratory

General

Caspian Tern: Large, stocky tern with pale gray upperparts and white underparts. Cap is black and may appear weakly crested; large bill is coral-red. Undersides of primaries are gray. Tail is white, relatively short, and slightly forked; legs are black. Sexes are similar. Winter adult has dark streaked cap and white eye rings. Juvenile resembles winter adult but has gray chevrons on white back, dark gray legs, and orange bill.

Range and Habitat

Caspian Tern: Breeds in scattered colonies from Mackenzie, Great Lakes, and Newfoundland south to the Gulf coast and Baja California. Spends winters north to California and North Carolina. Also breeds in Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. Preferred habitats include sandy or pebbly shores of lakes and large rivers and along coasts.

Breeding and Nesting

Caspian Tern: One to five brown marked, pink buff eggs are laid in a shallow depression in sand, often lined with shell fragments and grass. Incubation ranges from 20 to 28 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Caspian Tern: Eats mostly fish such as mullet and menhaden. Plunge dives or catches fish at surface while flying above; steals food from other birds.

Vocalization

Caspian Tern: Call is harsh deep "kaark" or "ka-arr."

Similar Species

Caspian Tern: Royal Tern has orange bill and deeply forked tail.

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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.

Caspian Tern

Caspian Tern: Large, stocky tern with pale gray upperparts, white underparts. Cap is black and may appear weakly crested; large bill is coral-red. Undersides of primaries are gray. Tail is white, relatively short, and slightly forked; legs are black. Hovers above water before diving.

● Song: "kaark" and "ka-arr"

● Foraging & Feeding: Caspian Tern: Eats mostly fish such as mullet and menhaden. Plunge dives or catches fish at surface while flying above; steals food from other birds.

● Breeding & nesting: Caspian Tern: One to five brown marked, pink buff eggs are laid in a shallow depression in sand, often lined with shell fragments and grass. Incubation ranges from 20 to 28 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Caspian Tern: Royal Tern has orange bill and deeply forked tail.

Flight Pattern

Strong flight., Swift graceful flight.

Caspian Tern Breeding Adult Body Illustration

● Range & Habitat: Caspian Tern: Breeds in scattered colonies from Mackenzie, Great Lakes, and Newfoundland south to the Gulf coast and Baja California. Spends winters north to California and North Carolina. Also breeds in Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. Preferred habitats include sandy or pebbly shores of lakes and large rivers and along coasts.

^BreedingMonogamous, Colonial, Rarely solitary

^PopulationStable

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight22.4 Ounces

Underparts

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

Upperparts

Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.

Cap

The area on top of the head of the bird.

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

Caspian 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

Caspian Tern

Flight Pattern