Antarctic Tern

Antarctic Tern

Taxobox
name = Antarctic Tern
status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Charadriiformes
familia = Sternidae
genus = " Sterna "
species = "S. vittata"
binomial = "Sterna vittata"
binomial_authority = Gmelin, 1789

The Antarctic Tern ("Sterna vittata") is a typical tern. It ranges throughout the southern oceans. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related Arctic Tern, but is stockier, and the wing tips are grey instead of blackish in flight. It is, of course, in breeding plumage in the southern summer, when Arctic has moulted to its non-breeding appearance.

Breeding takes place from mid-November to early December. Chicks hatch from December to February. Skuas and jaegers are the primary predators of this bird's eggs and young.

The total global population of this bird is around 140000 individuals.

Appearance

The Antarctic Tern is a small bird at 31-38 cm (12-15 inches) long. Its bill is usually a dark red or blackish. It is mainly pale grey and white, but has a black cap when breeding. In non-breeding plumage it has a grizzled crown and white forehead. The tips of this tern's wings are greyish black.

The plumage of juveniles is white on the belly, foreneck, forehead, and breast. The back is grey and the bill is black. Immature birds have plumage similar to adult terns.

References

*Ian Sinclair, Phil Hockey and Warwick Tarboton, "SASOL Birds of Southern Africa" (Struik 2002) ISBN 1-86872-721-1

External links

* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3272&m=0 The Antarctic Tern at Birdlife International] accessed August 25, 2006
* A [http://www.70south.com/resources/antarctic-animals/antarctic-birds/antarctictern Page about the Antarctic Tern] accessed August 25, 2006


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Antarctic tern — antarktinė žuvėdra statusas T sritis zoologija | vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Sterna vittata angl. Antarctic tern vok. Antarktikseeschwalbe, f rus. антарктическая крачка, f pranc. sterne couronnée, f ryšiai: platesnis terminas – tikrosios žuvėdros …   Paukščių pavadinimų žodynas

  • Antarctic Peninsula — map. Location o …   Wikipedia

  • Tern — Taxobox name = Terns image width = 250px image caption =Greater Crested Tern regnum = Animalia phylum = Chordata classis = Aves ordo = Charadriiformes subordo = Lari familia = Sternidae familia authority = Bonaparte, 1838 subdivision ranks =… …   Wikipedia

  • Tern Island, South Georgia — Tern Island (coord|54|3|S|37|20|W|) is a small, tussock covered island lying 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Albatross Island and 0. 6 miles (10 km) east of Dot Island in the south part of the Bay of Isles, South Georgia. First charted in 1912 13 by… …   Wikipedia

  • tern — tern1 /terrn/, n. any of numerous aquatic birds of the subfamily Sterninae of the family Laridae, related to the gulls but usually having a more slender body and bill, smaller feet, a long, deeply forked tail, and a more graceful flight, esp.… …   Universalium

  • List of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds — This list is based on the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds [http://www.birdsaustralia.com.au/hanzab/HANZAB spp list.pdf list, May 2002 update] , with the doubtfuls omitted. It includes the birds of Australia, New Zealand,… …   Wikipedia

  • Common Tern — This article is about the common tern, or sea swallow. For the pelagic sea slug also known as sea swallow, see Glaucus atlanticus. Common Tern Conservation status …   Wikipedia

  • Arctic Tern — Taxobox name = Arctic Tern status = LC status ref = [IUCN2006|assessors=BirdLife International|year=2004|id=49262|title=Sterna paradisaea|downloaded=11 May 2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern]… …   Wikipedia

  • Arctic tern — a tern, Sterna paradisaea, resembling the common tern, that breeds in arctic and north temperate regions and winters in antarctic regions. Also, arctic tern. [1880 85] * * * Tern species (Sterna paradisaea) that makes the longest annual migration …   Universalium

  • Greater Crested Tern — Breeding plumage T. b. cristata displaying Conservation status …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”