Sooty Tern Identification

A medium-sized, fork-tailed tern with white underparts, black upperparts, and a white forehead. In flight, white underwing linings contrast with black flight feathers.

Breeds on remote atolls and cays in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

A medium-sized tern that breeds on remote tropical and subtropical islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Adult is white below and black above, with a white forehead.

Juvenile is blackish overall, with whitish spots on the wings and back.

White forehead ends just above the front of the eye, helping to distinguish this species from the similar Bridled Tern.

In flight, note strongly forked tail and black flight feathers contrasting with white underwing linings.

In flight, note forked black tail with white outermost tail feathers.

Juvenile is blackish overall, with whitish spots on the wings and back.

Nests in large colonies that may include up to a million pairs.

A striking tern with boldly contrasting black upperparts and white underparts, a white forehead, black legs, and a black bill.

Young birds remain at sea for several years—without coming to land—until their first breeding attempts at 4–10 years of age.

Usually breeds in large colonies with thousands of (and occasionally up to a million) pairs. Lays a single egg directly on bare sand or rock, in either a shallow scrape or no nest at all.