White-fronted Tern
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| White-fronted Tern | |
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| A pair and their nest at Bayswater, Auckland City, New Zealand | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Sternidae |
| Genus: | Sterna |
| Species: | S. striata |
| Binomial name | |
| Sterna striata Gmelin, 1789 |
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The White-fronted Tern (Sterna striata) is the most common tern of New Zealand. It rarely swims, apart from bathing, despite having webbed feet. The species is protected.
White-fronted Terns feed in large flocks by plunge diving on shoals of smelt and pilchards which have been driven to the surface by larger fish and are easily caught. Like all terns they fly with their heads and bills pointing down to see their prey.
Breeding is between October and January in large colonies on rocky cliffs and offshore islands.
[edit] Gallery
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Omana Regional Park
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Tiritiri Matangi Island conservatory
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Small flock at rest
_at_Takapuna.jpg)
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Sterna striata. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sterna striata |
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Wikispecies has information related to: Sterna striata |
