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Small tern with an entirely black body in breeding plumage with silvery wings.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers
SizeMedium
RarityRare
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from April.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Lionel FREDERIC
Range map
Range map
6visible hotspots
209visible records
1states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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