Gygis

Taxobox
name = "Gygis"

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = White Tern
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Charadriiformes
familia = Sternidae
genus = "Gygis"
genus_authority = Wagler, 1832
subdivision_ranks = species
subdivision = "G. alba"
"G. microrhyncha"

"Gygis" is a genus of birds in the tern family. It consists of two species,
* White Tern, "Gygis alba"
* Little White Tern, "Gygis microrhyncha"

The Little White Tern is sometimes consider to be a subspecies, "G. a. microrhyncha", of the White Tern.

These are small, all white terns of tropical oceans. They nest on coral islands, usually on trees with thin branches but also on rocky ledges and on man-made structures. They feed on small fish caught by plunge diving.

References

* Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern.
*Niethammer, K. R., and L. B. Patrick-Castilaw. 1998. White Tern ("Gygis alba"). in "The Birds of North America", No. 371 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.

External links

* [http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/especie.phtml?idEspecie=1677 White Tern videos] on the Internet Bird Collection