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MarineCavity nestMedium · 120 g
ID tip
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.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the Spectacled Tern
One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 10 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is April, the month with the most records.
Where to see the Spectacled Tern
The map shades 12 countries with regular records, and 2 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 United States, Pitcairn Islands.
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.
Easily confused with
Aleutian TernOnychoprion aleuticusThe Aleutian tern is medium-sized tern (32–39 cm (13–15 in) long), with a 75–80 cm (30–31 in) wingspan, a short pointed bill and a long, deeply forked tail.
Sooty TernOnychoprion fuscatusIt is a medium-large tern, similar in size to the Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) at 36–45 cm (14–17.5 in) long with an 82–94 cm (32.5–37 in) wingspan.
Bridled TernOnychoprion anaethetusThis is a medium-sized tern, at 30–32 cm in length and with a 77–81 cm wingspan similar to the common tern in size, but more heavily built.
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