arctic-tern

Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)

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

arctic-tern
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America

arctic-tern
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America

arctic-tern
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America

arctic-tern
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America


Identification & Behavior: ~35.5 cm (14 in). The Arctic Tern in basic plumage is mostly white with light gray upperparts and a deeply forked tail. In alternate plumage, it has light gray underparts. Adult birds have red bill and legs in all plumages. Juvenile birds have a dark bill with reddish base of the lower mandible. It is similar to the South American Tern, which also has a red bill and red legs in all plumages, but the Arctic Tern is highly pelagic and is unlikely to be seen near land.

Status: The Arctic Tern is a fairly common Boreal transient migrant to pelagic waters of Peru. It is highly pelagic and unlikely to be seen from the coast, although appears to wander as a vagrant to Amazonia. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, Bo, and Ch.

Name in Spanish: Gaviotín Artico.

Sub-species: Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), Pontopiddan 1763.

Meaning of Name: Sterna: En. Stearn or starn= specific English name for a tern. paradisaea: L. paradisaea, paradisus= paradeisos of paradise, land of the pleasure of the Persian kings.

See more of the Family Laridae   peru aves

Distribution Map
arctic tern-Voice:
Generally silent at sea.


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.