Yellow-billed Tern

Overview

The yellow-billed tern is a small seabird found throughout South America. Classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, it is a species of tern within the family Laridae.

Identification

• Measures approximately 23–25 cm in body length and weighs 40–57 grams.
• Possesses a yellow beak and feet, with silvery grey wings and a white underbody and forehead.
• Features a black crown, nape, and eyeline, whereas juveniles are brown and white without the black cap.

Habitat

Found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats include rivers, swamps, and freshwater lakes, with non-breeding populations also using coastal lagoons, river mouths, and rice fields.

Diet

This species forages during the day, primarily consuming small fish, shrimp, and insects. It feeds by hovering and picking fish from surface waters.

Did you know?

Other species, such as the sand-colored nighthawk, are known to nest among yellow-billed tern colonies to take advantage of the terns' aggressive anti-predator behaviour.