Thalasseus

Eilseeschwalbe ( Thalasseus bergii )

Thalasseus is a genus of the tern family ( Sternidae ). Thalasseus literally means " creature of the sea" and includes a total of six extant species that are widely used and known worldwide. The genus Thalasseus has already been described in 1822 by Friedrich Boie, where the need for this separate class was confirmed by a study recently as 2005. Previously, the affected species of the genus Sterna have been assigned.

Features

Thalasseus is a genus of medium to large terns. A special feature is the thin, pointed beak, which often has a yellowish or orange color, except for the sandwich tern whose beak black, and is provided with a yellow tip. All species have a shaggy crest and in winter the end of the Thalasseus Terns turns white.

Way of life

These Terns breed in dense colonies near coasts and islands, and occasionally also in the interior of suitable large freshwater lakes.

Species

• Rüppellseeschwalbe ( T. bengalensis )
• Royal Tern ( T. maximus)
• Eilseeschwalbe ( T. bergii )
• Bernsteinseeschwalbe ( T. bernsteini )
• Schmuckseeschwalbe ( T. elegans)
• Sandwich Tern ( T. sandvicensis )