Small tern with an entirely black body in breeding plumage with silvery wings.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers
SizeMedium
RarityRare
HabitatThe black tern ( Chlidonias niger ) is a small tern generally found in or near inland water that breeds in Europe , Western Asia and North America .
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from April.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Lionel FREDERIC
Range map
Range map
6visible hotspots
209visible records
1states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
In the winter, their body is whitish-gray and they are not as conspicuous, but note small size, rather dark gray wings and rump, and black
Behavior
In some lights it can appear blue in the breeding season, hence the old English name "blue darr". In non-breeding plumage, most of the black, apart from the cap, is replaced by grey.
Gallery
Regional timing
Victoria
New South Wales
Commonly confused with
Common TernSterna hirundoBill color differs by subspecies: most have red bill with black tip, but some Asian birds have all-black bills. First-years show dark outer primaries, dark shoulder, and black restricted to back of neck. Similar to Forster's, Arctic, and Roseate Terns. Separated from breeding Forster's Tern by entirely gray upperwings; nonbreeding Forster's shows black ear patch. Somewhat longer-billed and shorter-tailed than Arctic Tern, with paler body. Shorter-tailed and overall darker than gleaming white Roseate Tern. Often found in large flocks, especially in late summer.→Little TernSternula albifronsTiny, delicate-looking tern. Breeding plumage has black cap with white forehead chevron, black-tipped yellow bill. Readily identified by tiny size, though wintering adults can be confusingly similar in patterning to Common Tern; look out for black stripes extending from the shoulder to the wingtip. Often overlooked unless noisy and mobbing you at a colony.→Great Crested TernThalasseus bergiiBlack cap does not extend down to the bill. Juvenile is scaly-looking with much more black on the back and wings. Similar Lesser Crested Tern is smaller with black cap extending down to the bill in breeding plumage.→