- Kerguelen Tern
Taxobox
name = Kerguelen Tern
status = NT | status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo =Charadriiformes
familia =Sternidae
genus = "Sterna "
species = "S. virgata"
binomial = "Sterna virgata"
binomial_authority = Cabanis, 1875The Kerguelen Tern ("Sterna virgata") is a
tern of thesouthern hemisphere .This
seabird mainly breeds colonially in theKerguelen Islands , as its common name implies. However, smaller colonies are also found in thePrince Edward Islands (especially Prince Edward and Marion) andCrozet Islands . The total number of individuals is from 3500-6500 birds, although there is no recent data from the main colony at Kerguelen. These birds do not inhabit Kerguelen proper, instead nesting on islets free offeral cat s. During bad weather, they are known to abandon their colonies.Kerguelen Terns are among the least-ranging of all typical terns. They generally do not reach far into the seas near their breeding grounds.
These birds eat
fish and marineinvertebrates , especially those found in beds of the seaweed Macrocystis spp. They sometimes also hunt insects on land and catch fish from rivers on Kerguelen.References
* [http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sites/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3273&m=0 Sterna virgata at Birdlife International] accessed
August 26 , 2006
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