Saunders's Tern

Overview

Saunders's tern, also known as the black-shafted tern, is a species of bird in the family Laridae that is a close relative of the little tern. It is considered a least concern species by the IUCN Red List, despite some estimates suggesting its population may be declining.

Identification

• Length of 20–28 cm with a wingspan of 50–55 cm.
• White body with a black cap and a white forehead patch.
• In breeding plumage, features a straight-bordered forehead patch, darker outer primaries, and dusky legs, distinguishing it from the little tern's bright yellow legs.
• Non-breeding plumage can be almost indistinguishable from the little tern.

Habitat

Sparsely resident along the shores of the north-western Indian Ocean, specifically in southern Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula, Socotra, Pakistan, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and northern Sri Lanka.

Diet

The diet primarily consists of marine animals such as small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks, with occasional insects. Individuals forage by hovering above the water for extended periods before making a plunge dive to catch prey.

Did you know?

The species was originally named the black-shafted ternlet by Allan Octavian Hume in 1877, who was British botanist and ornithologist serving in the Imperial Civil Service in British India.