Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia· 鸥科(1 photos)
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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.
