Project FeederWatch
Tricky Bird IDs
TernsBlack Tern
Chlidonias niger- ORDER: Charadriiformes
- FAMILY: Laridae
Basic Description
An outlier in a world of white seabirds, breeding Black Terns are a handsome mix of charcoal-gray and jet black. Their delicate form and neatly pointed wings provide tremendous agility as these birds flutter and swoop to pluck fish from the water’s surface or veer to catch flying insects, much as a swallow does. Black Terns nest in large freshwater marshes, in small, loose colonies. They winter in flocks along tropical coastlines. In the last half-century, this species has lost about half its North American population.
More ID InfoFind This Bird
In summer, look for flocks of Black Terns foraging acrobatically over large freshwater marshes. They often form colonies in the same locations each year (depending on water levels), so using eBird to see where they’ve been found in the past can help. Black Terns are harder to find during migration, as they move quickly. They may turn up in almost any kind of wetland, but they don’t stay in one spot for long.
Other Names
- Fumarel Común (Spanish)
- Guifette noire (French)
