BirdUp · Species
White-fronted Tern
Sterna striataGmelin, JF, 1789
- Commonness
- Very common
- Best seen
- Year-round
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
The white-fronted tern, also known as tara, sea swallow, black-billed tern, kahawai bird, southern tern, or swallow tail, was first described by Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. A medium-sized tern with an all-white body including underwing and forked tail, with pale grey hues on the mantle and upper side of the wing. In breeding adults a striking black cap covers the head from forehead to nape, leaving a small white strip above the black bill.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
02 · Where
Where to find it
- Breeding range
- Coasts and satellites of North, South, Stewart, Chatham (east of South I.) and Auckland is. (south of South I.; New Zealand); also (few) Furneaux group, east Bass Strait is. (Australia)
- Non-breeding range
- Coastal east SA, Tasmania to south-east QLD (south and east Australia)
03 · When
When to look
Months this species is recorded across its Australian range.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
The BirdUp app
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