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MarineScrapeMedium · 106 g
ID tip
The black-naped tern is named from the black band beginning at the eyes connecting behind the head and descending the back of the neck. The rest of their plumage is white, with pale silvery-grey wings and mantle, apart from the outermost primary feather which has a narrow black outer web. The tail is white, and deeply forked, extending (like the related roseate and white-fronted terns) beyond the wingtips on perched birds. The beaks and legs are black. They have a body length of 30–35 cm and a wingspan of 66 cm. Adults weigh between 97 and 120 g. Hatchlings are mottled brown. Voice: This tern calls with short, high-pitched, repeated sharp notes; "chit", "chip", "chrrut", "tsip".
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Black-naped Tern
One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 10 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is May, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Black-naped Tern
The map shades 32 countries with regular records, and 6 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in Myanmar (Burma), Timor-Leste, Mayotte, Sri Lanka, Nauru, Tokelau.
About the Black-naped Tern
The black-naped tern is an oceanic tern mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean. They are rarely found inland. It was described from the islands around Sumatra. It is most closely related to roseate tern S. dougallii and white-fronted tern S. striata.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Snowy-crowned TernSterna trudeauiThe snowy-crowned tern is 28 to 35 cm (11 to 14 in) long with a wingspan of 76 to 78 cm (30 to 31 in) and weighs 146 to 160 g (5.1 to 5.6 oz).
White-cheeked TernSterna repressaThe white-cheeked tern is a species of tern in the family Laridae.
Antarctic TernSterna vittataThe Antarctic tern is a medium-sized tern ranging from 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16 in) in length with a wingspan of 74 to 79 cm (29 to 31 in).
Side by side: Black-naped Tern vs Snowy-crowned Tern · Antarctic Tern vs Black-naped Tern
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