Roseate Tern (ROST)

Sterna dougallii

Adult Roseate Tern  © Shawn Billerman / Macaulay Library
Juvenile Roseate Tern © Vilhelm Fagerström / Macaulay Library

Range

Northeast populations of Roseate Terns primarily breed in coastal locations from Nova Scotia to New York. There are secondary colonies in Quebec, Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey. Caribbean populations breed on islands and inlets in Cuba, Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and the Virgin Islands through the Lesser Antilles to Tobago and Trinidad. They are rare in Venezuela, Jamaica, Belize, and Honduras. European populations can be found, and there are also small populations in South Africa and elsewhere. They spend large portions of the year at sea near breeding or year-round colonies.

Additional Maps

Identification

Roseate Terns are medium-sized birds with deep forked tails. Breeding adults have pale grey upperparts, bright white underparts, jet-black caps and beaks, and bright orange feet. Juveniles have sandy, speckled upperparts, brown feet and beaks, and a smudgy grey cap. They are named for the pale rose color on their belly.

Roseate Terns fly with stiff shallow rowing beats. In flight, their dark-tipped wings and forked tails become more pronounced.

Roseate Terns most often give a clipped, high-pitched keek or lower kir-ik. When in colonies, a distressed tern may give a lower, harsher series of staccatos.

Listen to its songs and calls here.

Habitat

Roseate Terns in the Northeast nest on rocky or sandy barrier islands, or occasionally on hummocks in salt marshes. They typically live in colonies with Common Terns near productive areas like shoals, tidal rips, and sandbars. They nest among rocks, shells, or vegetation and prefer to be obscured by beachgrass or rock formations.

Roseate Terns eat small fish, catching them either by plunging into the water or by swooping down and snatching fish close to the surface. Birds caring for a nest are more likely to forage in waters closer to shore, but they may fly over 15 miles out to sea to find food. They have also been observed consuming small crustaceans.

Conservation Status 

Status by State

Threats to Conservation

Despite their low level of concern as a species, specific populations in Canada, the Northeastern U.S., Africa, and South America face significant threats to their survival, leading to a global population decline over the last century. Human disturbances are the primary cause of the decline of Roseate Tern’s population. In South America, Africa, and the Caribbean, eggs are harvested from colonies; other human disturbances have led to previous nesting sites being abandoned such as those in South Carolina. Marine pollution from oil spills, pesticides, and other harmful chemicals has impacted the Roseate Tern population as well. These issues along with the disappearance of former nesting sites due to erosion, pollution, or other environmental factors have led to a decrease in breeding.

Funding Opportunities
General Management Guides
Regional Management Guides
Northeast
Resources
Works Cited