Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica )

The Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica ) is a seabird of the tern family ( Sternidae ).

Appearance

Lachseeschwalben similar in size to a black-headed gull and are therefore a medium-sized tern. They are distinguished by a black beak, which is set relatively high up on the head. The forehead and the top of the head to the neck are feathered black adult birds in breeding plumage. The top to tail, is light gray. The tail is only slightly forked. In sedentary birds, the wing tips extend far beyond the short tail end. The body lower side, however, is white.

In plumage Lachseeschwalben have a white forehead and a more white gray feathered back. The plumage of young birds is like the plumage largely, but the feathers of young birds often have a brownish hem.

Distribution and habitat

Lachseeschwalben are colony-forming breeding birds on sandy sea coasts and islands. They also occur in steppe lakes and rare on river islands inland. They breed in all parts of the world, including for example the Australian fauna as well as they can be found on the west and east coasts of North America, steppes of Central Asia to India. In Central Europe, they are among the very rare breeding birds, which can be occasionally observed in the period from April to September. Thus, in 1980 only counted 150 breeding pairs in Lower Saxony and Schleswig -Holstein. 2013 existed in Central Europe only one colony in Schleswig -Holstein with 31 breeding pairs.

Lachseeschwalben are long- distance migrants, their winter quarters are in the tropics and subtropics.

Reproduction

The breeding season of breeding birds in Europe lies in the period from May to June. There is only one years young.

The nest is a hollow in the sand or in low grass. The nest usually consists of three sand yellow eggs that are spotted with brown. Incubation period is 22-23 days. After about five weeks, the birds hatched from parents Birds are independent. At the breeding and rearing of birds, both parents are involved.

Food

Unlike other Lachseeschwalben terns feed mainly on land animals. These include insects, amphibians, small lizards, small mammals, and occasionally earthworms. Water animals they take on from the surface.

Protection status

The gull is in the Red List of Germany in the category 1 ( threatened with extinction ) out. It is specially protected under Annex I of the EU Birds Directive ( 79/409/EEC RL ).