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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Laridae
  4. ›
  5. Onychoprion
  6. ›
  7. Aleutian Tern

BirdUp · Species

Aleutian Tern

Onychoprion aleuticus(Baird, SF, 1869)

Conservation status: VulnerableOrigin: Native
Order
CHARADRIIFORMES
Family
Laridae
Genus
Onychoprion

At a glance

The Aleutian Tern is a medium-sized bird, about 32–34 cm long, listed as Vulnerable and native to Australia.

Size
32–34 cm
Conservation status
Vulnerable
Origin
Native
Commonness
Rare
  • Identification
  • Where
  • Behaviour

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does an Aleutian Tern look like?

The Aleutian Tern is a medium-sized bird, about 32–34 cm long and weighing 100–140 g.

The Aleutian tern is a migratory bird living in the subarctic region of the globe most of the year. It is frequently associated with the Arctic tern, which it closely resembles. While both species have a black cap, the Aleutian tern may be distinguished by its white forehead. During breeding season, the Arctic terns have bright red bills, feet, and legs while those of the Aleutian terns are black.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
32–34 cm
Weight
100–140 g
Wingspan
75 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does an Aleutian Tern eat?

The Aleutian Tern feeds on small fish and some crustaceans., usually foraging in surface-dipping and hovering.

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Aleutian Tern live in Australia?

The Aleutian Tern is native to Australia.

Breeding range
PAL, NA : North Pacific coasts from Sakhalin, Sea of Okhotsk and Kamchatka through Aleutian Is., and west to south-west Alaska
Non-breeding range
To coastal Thailand, Philippines, north New Guinea, Indonesia, south Malaysia and Singapore, and north NSW (east-central Australia); migrates along west North Pacific coast via Japan, Korean Pen., east China, and Taiwan