Order: Charadriiformes | Family: Laridae | IUCN Status: Least Concern
Age: Adult, basic | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Lima, Peru
Age: Adult, basic | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Lima, Peru
Age: Juvenile | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Lima, Peru
Age: Adult, alternate | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America
Identification & Behavior: ~35.5 in (14 in). The Common Tern in basic plumage has a black bill and black feet. The forehead is white with blackish rest of the cap. It shows a distinctive black carpal bar. In alternate plumage, it shows a solid black cap, red bill with black tip, and red feet. In basic plumage, it is similar to the Black Tern but is distinguished by the black carpal bar.
Status: The Common Tern is a fairly common Boreal migrant along the coast of Peru during the months of August through May. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, Bo, and Ch.
Name in Spanish: Gaviotín Común.
Sub-species: Common Tern (Sterna hirundo hirundo), Linnaeus, 1758.
Meaning of Name: Sterna: En. Stearn or starn= specific English name for a tern. hirundo: L. hirundo= a swallow.
See more of the Family Laridae 
Distribution Map
Voice
VoiceReferences:
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- 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.