Caspian Tern
CommonGBIF 1.8·Dongniao Rarity Index5.85
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) 红嘴巨燕鸥，是鸻形目鸥科巨鸥属的鸟类。是全球体型最大的燕鸥种类，拥有厚重鲜红的喙，夏羽时头顶全黑，冬羽则为黑色条纹。广泛分布于北美洲、欧洲、亚洲、非洲和澳大利亚的海岸线及大型湖泊附近。
Caspian Tern
48-55 cm; span 1.1-1.4 m Largest tern, with robust scarlet bill. Breeding Plumage: forehead/crown black. Non-breeding: forehead white; rear crown, ear coverts streaked brownish. Juvenile: bill orange with blackish tip; ear coverts/crown streaked blackish brown; upperparts mottled. In flight: long wings darker at tip; tail short, white, slightly forked. Patrols 10-15 m high with easy beats; swoops, hovers, plunges. Noisy, aggressive over nest.
- Voice
- deep, harsh 'kraa-uh'; 'kah'.
- Habitat
- coastal, offshore waters; beaches, mudflats, estuaries, larger rivers, reservoirs, lakes; some inland.
- Breeding
- Sept.-Dec. in s.; any month in n.; pairs, colonies on sandspits, islands.
- Eggs
- 1-2; creamy grey to pale brown, lightly spotted, blotched blackish, dark brown; in scrape with seaweed, grass, sticks.
- Range & Status
- Aust., incl. Tas.: seldom numerous; some breeding companies 200+. Nomadic, part-migratory. Cosmopolitan.
