Bird #64: Common Tern

Common Name: Common Tern

Scientific Name: Sterna hirundo           

Description: 13-16 inches; black cap; black nape; tail deeply forked with elongated outer tail feather; underparts whitish. Breeding: bill reddish orange with black tip; upperparts light silver-grey; black outer primaries; legs reddish orange. Non-breeding: Black legs. Juvenile: upperparts brownish; white fore head.

Habitat: Coastlines

Statue: Migrant

References:

·         Birds of Barbados by P.A Buckley, Edward Massiah, Maurice B. Hutt, Francine G. Buckle

·         Helm Field Guides- Birds of the West Indies  by H. Raffaele, J. Wiley, O. Garrido, A.        Keith, J. Raffaele 

·         National Geographic- Field Guide to the Birds of North America edited by Dunn and Alderfer

Websites

·         Wikipedia

·         ARKIVE