Spectacled Tern
Onychoprion lunatus
The Spectacled Tern (Onychoprion lunatus) is a rare skimmers, noddies, terns, and gull found in 14 countries, weighing about 120 g. The spectacled tern, also known as the grey-backed tern, is a seabird in the family Laridae.
About the Spectacled Tern
The spectacled tern, also known as the grey-backed tern, is a seabird in the family Laridae.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
A close relative of the bridled and sooty terns (with which it is sometimes confused), the spectacled tern is less common than the other members of its genus and it has been studied less. The three species, along with the Aleutian tern were recently split into a new genus Onychoprion from Sterna (Bridge et al., 2005). They resemble the sooty tern but with a grey back instead of a black one. Their breast and underparts are white, and they have a black eye line from the bill to the back of the head.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Pitcairn Islands.
When to see it
Best months: February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, with peak activity in April. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Spectacled Tern?
- A close relative of the bridled and sooty terns (with which it is sometimes confused), the spectacled tern is less common than the other members of its genus and it has been studied less. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Spectacled Tern?
- The Spectacled Tern is a medium sized bird weighing about 120 g.
- Where can you see a Spectacled Tern?
- The Spectacled Tern occurs in 14 countries, including French Polynesia, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Solomon Islands.
- What birds look similar to a Spectacled Tern?
- The Spectacled Tern is most easily confused with the Aleutian Tern, the Sooty Tern and the Bridled Tern.
- Is the Spectacled Tern endangered?
- The Spectacled Tern is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Spectacled Tern for real
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