Antarctic Tern
Encyclopedia
The Antarctic Tern is a typical tern. It ranges throughout the southern oceans. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related Arctic Tern
, but is stockier, and the wing tips are grey instead of blackish in flight. It is, of course, in breeding plumage
in the southern summer, when Arctic has moulted to its non-breeding plumage (though this is not useful for separating it from another species, the South American Tern
).
Breeding takes place from mid-November to early December. Chicks hatch from December to February. Skua
s and jaegers are the primary predators of this bird's eggs and young.
The total global population of this bird is around 140,000 individuals.
The plumage of juveniles is white on the belly, foreneck, forehead, and breast. The back is grey and the bill is black. Immature birds have plumage similar to adult terns.
Arctic Tern
The Arctic Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America...
, but is stockier, and the wing tips are grey instead of blackish in flight. It is, of course, in breeding plumage
Plumage
Plumage refers both to the layer of feathers that cover a bird and the pattern, colour, and arrangement of those feathers. The pattern and colours of plumage vary between species and subspecies and can also vary between different age classes, sexes, and season. Within species there can also be a...
in the southern summer, when Arctic has moulted to its non-breeding plumage (though this is not useful for separating it from another species, the South American Tern
South American Tern
The South American Tern is a species of tern found in coastal regions of southern South America, including the Falkland Islands, ranging north to Peru and Brazil . It is generally the commonest tern in its range. It closely resembles the smaller, highly migratory Common Tern.-References:*...
).
Breeding takes place from mid-November to early December. Chicks hatch from December to February. Skua
Skua
The skuas are a group of seabirds with about seven species forming the family Stercorariidae and the genus Stercorarius. The three smaller skuas are called jaegers in North America....
s and jaegers are the primary predators of this bird's eggs and young.
The total global population of this bird is around 140,000 individuals.
Description
The Antarctic Tern is a small bird at 31-38 cm (12-15 inches) long. Its bill is usually a dark red or blackish. It is mainly pale grey and white, but has a black cap when breeding. In non-breeding plumage it has a grizzled crown and white forehead. The tips of this tern's wings are greyish black.The plumage of juveniles is white on the belly, foreneck, forehead, and breast. The back is grey and the bill is black. Immature birds have plumage similar to adult terns.
External links
- The Antarctic Tern at Birdlife International accessed August 25, 2006
- A Page about the Antarctic Tern accessed August 25, 2006