Yellow-billed Tern (Sternula superciliaris)

Order: Charadriiformes | Family: Laridae | IUCN Status: Least Concern

yellow-billed-tern
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Western Amazonia

yellow-billed-tern
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonian Brazil

yellow-billed-tern
Age: Juvenile | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Amazonian Ecuador

yellow-billed-tern
Age: Adult with Large-billed Tern | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Western Amazonia

Identification & Behavior: ~24 cm (9.4 in). The Yellow-billed Tern has a yellow bill and legs in both basic and alternate plumages. Birds in basic plumage have white foreheads and light gray crown. It is the only small tern in its range in Peru. The Peruvian Tern and Least Tern are similar, but their ranges do not overlap. It is much smaller than Large-billed Tern

Status: The Yellow-billed Tern is fairly common in Amazonian Rivers. It also forages at oxbow lakes. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Bo.

Name in Spanish: Gaviotín de Pico Amarillo.

Sub-species: Yellow-billed Tern (Sternula superciliaris), Vieillot 1819.

Meaning of Name: Sternula: Gr. diminutive of Sterna. superciliaris: L. referring to the eyebrow.

See more of the Family Laridae   peru aves

Distribution Map
yellow-billed ternVoice

References:

    • Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum.  http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 01/01/2015.