Black-Naped Tern   

Black-Naped Tern's description

The black-naped tern (Sterna sumatrana) is an oceanic tern mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is rarely found inland. The tern is about 30 cm long with a wing length of 21–23 cm. Their beaks and legs are black, but the tips of their bills are yellow. They have long forked tails. The black-naped tern has a white face and breast with a grayish-white back and wings. The first couple of their primary feathers are gray.

Black-Naped Tern's facts

• This species of terns is a slender bird, with narrow wings and a distinct long, forked tail. Its name is attributed to the presence of a thin black strip extending before its eyes to its lower nape, giving it a masked appearance.
• Both sexes are alike and its breeding plumage can be distinguished by a pinkish tinge on the breast during the breeding season.
• Juveniles have buffy grey or black mottled heads, black napes and pale grey underparts.
• Black-naped Terns nest in small colonies and usually do not nest with other tern species, although they may be associated with nesting colonies of Roseate Terns (Sterna dougalli).
• They lay their eggs directly on rocky surfaces on cliffs, or on the ground in a slight depression above tide level, with no nesting material, bits of rocks are sometimes used to encircle the eggs.
• This bird feeds on small fish about 4 to 8 cm long, often making shallow plunge-dives into the sea but also fishing from the surface.
• The range of the Black-naped Tern covers the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Black-Naped Tern's Behavior & Ecology

This species frequents small offshore islands, reeds, sand spits and rocky cays, feeding in atoll lagoons and close inshore over breakers, but sometimes also at sea. Its breeding season varies depending on locality, usually forming small colonies of 5 to 20 pairs, but sometimes up to 200 pairs. Colonies are often monospecific and formed on unlined depression in the sand or in gravel pockets on coral banks close to the high tide line.

Black-naped Terns usually nest in exposed, open sites, in simple, usually unlined depressions on bare sand or shingle beaches of cays, reefs and islands, typically in the narrow strip just above the high-water mark where debris collects.

Occasionally they nest on spits, bare rock or among coral rubble or, more rarely, on top of logs or on structures, such as shipwrecks. Nests are usually away from vegetation or occasionally near the edge of vegetation, among grass and shrubs, or, rarely, beneath trees. Black-naped Terns are colonial nesters, but very occasionally nest as apparently solitary pairs. They often nest in association with Roseate Terns, but also with Bridled and Crested Terns, Silver Gulls (Larus novaehollandiae) and Brown Boobies (Sula leucogaster).

Black-Naped Tern's Feeding

This bird feeds on small fish about 4 to 8 cm long, often making shallow plunge-dives into the sea but also fishing from the surface. It is solitary when feeding.

Black-Naped Tern's Reproduction

Black-naped Terns nest in small colonies and usually do not nest with other tern species, although they may be associated with nesting colonies of Roseate Terns (Sterna dougalli). Their courtship involves courtship feeding and flight displays.They lay their eggs directly on rocky surfaces on cliffs, or on the ground in a slight depression above tide level, with no nesting material.However, bits of rocks are sometimes used to encircle the eggs. One or two eggs are laid and these are light buff or pale greenish in colour with rough blotches of lilac grey, gull grey, dark chestnut brown or black.The breeding season is between May and August. Eggs are incubated for about 21 to 23 days.

Black-Naped Tern's Conservation

Black-Naped tern is sensitive to human disturbance. As surface nester, nest are vulnerable to disturbance, predators, tidal surges and flooding. The IUCN list classifies the Black-Naped tern is least concern.This Bird is protected by the Environment protection and preservation AD(4/93) in the Maldives. (A protected bird in Maldives since 11th July 1999).

Black-Naped Tern's Relationship with Humans

Black-Naped Terns oceanic birds which helps the fisherman to locate Shoals of fishes (eg: Tuna), Just like the other Oceanic birds.

Black-Naped Tern habitat

Black-Naped Tern threats

Black-Naped Tern's status