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Medium-sized tern with thick black bill.
NT: Endangered
At a glance
FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from June to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by James Lambert
Range map
Range map
2138visible hotspots
76191visible records
5states
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
Very pale overall with black cap in breeding plumage. Legs black. Nonbreeding plumage shows small dark cheek patch. Graceful in flight; swoops over ponds and marshes where it grabs invertebrates from the surface. Formerly considered part of Gull-billed Tern, and limits of the range of that species and Australian in New Guinea and southern Indonesia poorly understood.
Behavior
Found both coastally and inland in a variety of wetland habitats, including beaches, mudflats, freshwater marshes, and even wet fields. Occasionally joins flocks with other terns, but more often seen singly or in pairs.
Gallery