Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 9.1–10.2 in
23–26 cm - Wingspan
- 22.4–23.6 in
57–60 cm - Weight
- 1.8–2.1 oz
50–60 g
Other Names
- Guifette noire (French)
- Gaviotin negro, Charrán negro, Fumarel negro (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Black Tern is very social. It breeds in loose colonies and usually forages, roosts,and migrates in flocks of a few to more than 100 birds, occasionally up to tens of thousands.
Habitat
Marsh
Food
Insects
Nesting
Nest Placement
Floating
Behavior
Aerial Dive
Conservation
Least Concern
Populations declining, especially at southern edge of range.
Credits
- Dunn, E. H., and D. J. Agro. 1995. Black Tern (Chlidonias niger). In The Birds of North America, No. 147 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.