Caspian Tern - Photos by Bruce Dayton - Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)

ORDER: Charadriiformes
FAMILY: Laridae
SUB-FAMILY: Sternidae
(Gulls and Terns - 49 Species)
SPECIES: Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)

Caspian Tern
The Caspian Tern is the largest of the North American terns. They are more predatory than most other terns, readily taking small birds or the eggs and young of other terns.
SIZE	The Caspian Tern is a large (19-23") tern, about the size of a gull.
DESCRIPTION	Adult birds have black legs and a large, thick, coral-red bill with a dark tip. They have a white head with a black cap and white neck. They are pale gray above on the back and wings. the undersides of the primaries are gray. Sexes are similar in appearance.
NESTING	Clutch size ranges from 1-3 eggs, which are incubated in about 20-24 days. Both sexes build their nest (a shallow, sparsely lined hollow) on the ground among debris or sometimes on floating material. Caspian Terns nest on barrier beaches, natural islands and shoals and islands of dredged-material.
RANGE	Their breeding habitat is in scattered colonies on large lakes and ocean coasts from Mackenzie, Great Lakes, and Newfoundland south to the Gulf. They also breed in Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. North American birds migrate to southern coasts, the West Indies and northern South America.
HABITAT	Preferred habitats include sandy or pebbly shores of lakes and large rivers and along coasts.
DIET	These birds dive for fish, hovering high over the water and then plunging. Caspian Terns feed almost entirely on small fish, but occasionally they feed on insects and the young and eggs of other birds.

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2008 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.

NOTE: This site will be updated as pictures, information and time become available.




Caspian Tern

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge Seneca County, New York


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Common Tern Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes