Bridled Tern

Zügelseeschwalbe ( Onychoprion anaethetus )

The Zügelseeschwalbe ( Onychoprion anaethetus ) is a seabird of the tern family. Previously, she was placed in the genus Sterna ( Bridge et al., 2005). It is distributed in all tropical and subtropical seas.

Description

The Zügelseeschwalbe is a small tern, which reaches a length of 30-32 cm and 77-81 cm wingspan. This makes it approximately similar size, such as the common tern. The wings and tail are long tiefgegabelte. The hood is black. A narrow white band on the forehead tapers at least one centimeter behind the eye to an acute eye-streak. A uniform narrow black strip extending from the base rein the lower mandible to the eye. The top is dark gray to black, the underside white. The jacket and the large coverts are gray to medium brown. The flight feathers are blackish brown. The young birds are at the bottom white and pale gray at the top.

Distribution and occurrence

The Zügelseeschwalbe is a migratory bird that breeds on rocky islands and wintered over the oceans. The Atlantic subspecies O. n melanopters breeds in Mexico, the Caribbean and West Africa. Other breeds come in the Arab region, in Southeast Asia and Australasia. The exact number of valid subspecies is disputed.

Lifestyle and food

The Zügelseeschwalbe nests on the ground or scraped in hollows and lays an egg. Their diet consists of small fish or squid which captured either by impact or diving as the Black Tern and Lachseeschwalben begins at the surface. In contrast to the Arctic, which favors the flight search that Zügelseeschwalbe dive usually right after their prey. The transfer of a fish by the male to the female is part of the mating game. The biggest natural enemy of Zügelseeschwalbe is the frigate bird, which on some islands, most of the chicks fall victim.