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Species
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Laridae
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Sternula
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Saunders's Tern

BirdUp · Species

Saunders's Tern

Sternula saundersi(Hume, 1877)

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Native

Order: CHARADRIIFORMES
Family: Laridae
Genus: Sternula

At a glance

The Saunders's Tern, listed as Least Concern and native to Australia.

Conservation status: Least Concern
Origin: Native

Identification
Where

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

Saunders's tern, sometimes known as the black-shafted tern, is a species of bird in the family Laridae. It is sparsely resident along the shores of the north-western Indian Ocean.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Wingspan: 50 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

Field tips

flight

In flight, look for three to four outer primary feathers with dark shafts that contrast sharply with the rest of the pale wing.
Flight is characterized by particularly rapid, shallow wingbeats and frequent, sustained hovering before dropping to the water.

plumage

In breeding plumage, the white forehead patch is diagnostic, showing a sharply defined, straight horizontal border where it meets the black crown.
The legs and feet are typically a muted olive-brown or dusky-yellow color.

size_and_shape

The tail is relatively short with a shallow fork, giving the rear of the bird a blunt, wedge-shaped appearance in flight.

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Saunders's Tern live in Australia?

The Saunders's Tern is native to Australia.

Breeding range: AF, PAL : islands of Red Sea and Persian Gulf, off Somalia and Socotra, patchily to coast of Pakistan, north-west India, and Adam'south Bridge is.; Vagrant to Western Australia (Ashmore Reef).
Non-breeding range: To coastal Tanzania, all Seychelles groups and Madagascar (tropical west Indian Ocean), Chagos Arch. and Maldives (north-central Indian Ocean)