Black-bellied Tern
Sterna acuticauda
The Black-bellied Tern (Sterna acuticauda) is a rare skimmers, noddies, terns, and gull found in 5 countries, weighing about 166 g. The black-bellied tern is a tern found near large rivers in the Indian subcontinent, its range extending from Pakistan, Nepal and India to Myanmar.
About the Black-bellied Tern
The black-bellied tern is a tern found near large rivers in the Indian subcontinent, its range extending from Pakistan, Nepal and India to Myanmar. It has become very scarce in the eastern part of its range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being endangered.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black-bellied tern grows to a length of 32 to 35 cm (13 to 14 in). In the breeding plumage, the crown and nape are black and the upper parts are pale grey. The throat is white and the breast pale grey, gradually darkening to a black belly. The wings are long, slender and pointed and the tail is deeply forked with sharply pointed tips. The bill and feet are yellow or orange and the iris is reddish brown. Outside the breeding season, the belly is whitish, the tail is reduced in length and the bill has a dark tip.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, October, November, December, with peak activity in December. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black-bellied Tern?
- The black-bellied tern grows to a length of 32 to 35 cm (13 to 14 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black-bellied Tern?
- The Black-bellied Tern is a medium sized bird weighing about 166 g.
- Where can you see a Black-bellied Tern?
- The Black-bellied Tern occurs in 5 countries, including India, Nepal, Pakistan, Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh.
- What birds look similar to a Black-bellied Tern?
- The Black-bellied Tern is most easily confused with the Kerguelen Tern, the Antarctic Tern and the White-cheeked Tern.
- Is the Black-bellied Tern endangered?
- The Black-bellied Tern is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black-bellied Tern for real
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