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Black Tern

Chlidonias nigerOrder: CHARADRIIFORMESFamily: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)
Black Tern Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: All-purpose
  • Eye Color: Dark brown.
  • Head Pattern: Plain
  • Crown Color: Black
  • Forehead Color: Black
  • Nape Color: Black
  • Throat Color: Black
  • Cere color: No Data
Black Tern: Breeding Adult

Body

  • Length Range: 23-25 cm (9-10 in)
  • Weight: 65 g (2.3 oz)
  • Size: Size 3. Medium (9 - 16 in)
  • Color: Black, Gray
  • Underparts: Black
  • Upperparts: Dark Gray
  • Back Pattern: Solid
  • Belly Pattern: Solid
  • Breast Pattern: Solid
Black Tern Flight Illustration

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Buoyant flight with steady fast wing beats.
  • Wingspan Range: 51-61 cm (20-24 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings, Long-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Notched Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Solid
  • Upper Tail: Dark Gray
  • Under Tail: White
  • Leg Color: Red
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Family Tern (Laridae)_blue
Species Chlidonias niger
Length9 - 10 Inches
Wingspan22 Inches

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.
Black Tern: Breeding Adult
● 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