Tern

Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea )

The Terns ( Sternidae ) form a bird family within the order of Charadriiformes ( Charadriiformes shorebirds and gulls or birds).

In some ways, the terns are similar to the gulls and are used by some authors in the family of gulls ( Laridae ) incorporated. However, they are generally smaller, narrower and more compact act. In contrast to the gulls are the terns pronounced migratory birds that winter in the tropics or even as the Arctic Tern in Antarctica. Worldwide there are 45 species of terns.

The family includes 12 genera and 45 species.

Appearance

Terns are approximately 24 to 40 cm length smaller than gulls. They are slimmer and have, in contrast to the seagulls narrow wings, a considerably forked tail (hence the name "Swallow " ) and an acute, often downward in flight beak. Their plumage is often white to gray. Many species have a black hood.

Habitat

Most terns live on seashores, some species of inland waters. Place very long distances back to their wintering grounds in the south.

Way of life

Terns nest on the ground or on rocks, often in colonies. The nests are usually very close together and can be simple bare hollows. Lake swallows build flat nests on floating marsh vegetation.

Terns swim relatively rare. Search for food they are shaking and dive from the air for fish.

Some tern species show considerable flight performance. So wanders the native in Central Europe after the tern breeding season in Antarctica, to return to the north to the local summer. It lay some individuals more than 40,000 km Return a year.

Genera and species

  • Sterna Gull-billed Tern ( S. nilotica )
  • Hinduseeschwalbe ( S. aurantia )
  • Roseate Tern ( S. dougallii )
  • Taraseeschwalbe ( S. striata )
  • Schwarznackenseeschwalbe (p. sumatrana )
  • Falklandseeschwalbe (p. hirundinacea )
  • Tern ( S. hirundo )
  • Arctic Tern ( S. paradisaea )
  • Antipodenseeschwalbe (P. vittata )
  • Kerguelenseeschwalbe ( S. virgata )
  • Forsterseeschwalbe ( S. forsteri )
  • Weißscheitelseeschwalbe (p. trudeaui )
  • Little Tern ( S. albifrons )
  • Orientseeschwalbe (p. saundersi )
  • American Tern ( S. antillarum )
  • Amazonasseeschwalbe (p. superciliaris )
  • Peruseeschwalbe (p. lorata )
  • Fairy Tern ( S. nereis )
  • Damaraseeschwalbe (p. balaenarum )
  • Weißwangenseeschwalbe (p. reprisals )
  • Schwarzbauchseeschwalbe (p. acuticauda )
  • Caspian Tern ( Sterna caspia Hydroprogne caspia so far )
  • Aleutenseeschwalbe (O. aleuticus )
  • Brillenseeschwalbe (O. lunatus )
  • Zügelseeschwalbe (O. anaethetus )
  • Sooty Tern (O. fuscatus )
  • Thalasseus Royal Tern ( T. maxima)
  • Schmuckseeschwalbe ( T. elegans)
  • Rüppellseeschwalbe ( T. bengalensis )
  • Eilseeschwalbe ( T. bergii )
  • Bernsteinseeschwalbe ( T. bernsteini )
  • Sandwich Tern ( T. sandvicensis )
  • American Sandwich Tern ( T. acuflavides )
  • Chlidonias Black-fronted Tern (C. albostriatus ) or ( Sterna albostriata )
  • Whiskered Tern (C. hybridus )
  • White-winged Tern (C. leucopterus )
  • Black Tern (C. niger)
  • Phaetusa Large -billed Tern ( P. simplex)
  • Noddiseeschwalben ( Anous ) Noddi (A. stolidus )
  • Weißkappennoddi (A. minutus)
  • Schlankschnabelnoddi (A. tenuirostris )
  • Procelsterna Blaunoddi ( P. cerulea )
  • Graunoddi ( P. albivitta )
  • White Fairy Terns ( Gygis ) Fairy Tern (G. alba)
  • Little Fairy Tern (G. microrhyncha )
Genus Swamp South American Tern Kerguelen Tern Forster's Tern Saunders's Tern Damara Tern Elegant Tern Greater Crested Tern Chinese Crested Tern Blue Noddy
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