Roseate Tern

Sterna dougallii

Order CHARADRIIFORMES - Family LARIDAE - Subfamily Sterninae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

A medium-sized tern similar in appearance to several other species, the Roseate Tern is primarily a tropical bird. It breeds across the globe in tropical oceans, and reaches into the temperate zone in the northern Atlantic, where it breeds in scattered localities.

Cool Facts

• In Roseate Terns that breed in the Northeast, the bill is black in May, becomes progressively redder from the base toward the tip during June and July, and turns blacker again in August. In Caribbean birds, the bill is one-third to one-half red in May, and becomes mostly red during June and July.
• Once heavily collected for the plume trade, and vulnerable to egg collectors, Roseate Tern numbers increased following the protection of colonies in North America. Breeding colonies in the Caribbean are still vulnerable to eggers, who preferentially seek the eggs of this species because of supposed aphrodisiac properties.

Description

• Size: 33-41 cm (13-16 in)
• Weight: 90-140 g (3.18-4.94 ounces)

• Medium-sized tern.
• White with black cap.
• Tail long and deeply forked.
• Wings white.
• Bill black.

• Very pale.
• Very long, deeply forked tail.
• Dark only on outermost wing feathers.
• White trailing edge to underside of wingtips.
• Bill long and thin.
• Eyes black.

Breeding (Alternate) Plumage: Cap solid black. Back light gray. Underparts white, washed with pale pink. Legs red-orange. Bill all black turning red at base during nesting. Tail all white. Rump white, not contrasting with light gray back.
Nonbreeding (Basic) Plumage: Forehead white. Back of head blackish. Underparts white. Bill all black. Tail shorter. Legs black.

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike.

Immature

Juvenile with dark head, and scaly pattern across back. Immature resembles winter adult, but has darker wingtips.

Similar Species

• Common Tern similar in breeding plumage, but has shorter legs, more extensive red on bill, darker gray wings and back, black forming a wedge in the spread primaries, a light grayish belly, shorter tail with dark outer edges, and a dark leading edge to the wings.
• Forster's Tern slightly darker, with long, but slightly shorter white tail streamers, dark trailing edge of wings, orange legs, and an orange bill with a black tip. In winter, has distinctive comma-shaped dark mark around the eyes.
• Arctic Tern has shorter, red legs, a smaller, uniformly red bill, and darker gray underparts.

Sound

Call a sharp, high-pitched, two-noted "chi,vik" or "ki,rik."

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds in scattered locations along the Atlantic Coast from Nova Scotia southward to New York, and in the Florida Keys. Also in Caribbean, Europe, Indian Ocean, Australia, and western Pacific Ocean.

Winter Range

Winter range not well known; probably on coast of South America and at sea. Also around Africa, the Indian Ocean, and western Pacific Ocean.

Habitat

Breeds on rocky offshore islands, barrier beaches, and salt marsh islands. Winters offshore or along coasts.

Food

Small fish. Some invertebrates.

Behavior

Foraging

Plunges into water from flight; may hover briefly before plunging.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Scrape in ground.

Egg Description

Brown with dark speckles and streaks.

Clutch Size

Usually 1-4 eggs. Range: 1-5.

Condition at Hatching

Downy, eyes open, able to walk but stays in nest.

Conservation Status

The Canadian Wildlife Service lists Roseate Tern as Threatened. The U.S. Department of Interior lists the northeastern population as Endangered and the Caribbean population as Threatened, and the global status of the Roseate Tern is considered ?near Threatened.?

Other Names

Sterne de Dougall (French)
Charrán Rosada, Gaviotina, Palometa (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Gochfeld, M., J. Burger, and I. C. T. Nisbet. 1998. Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii). In The Birds of North America, No. 370 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.