Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusOnychoprion (Brown-backed Terns)
- SpeciesOnychoprion fuscatus (Sooty Tern)
About the Sooty Tern
The sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) is a tern in the family Laridae. It is a seabird of the tropical oceans and can fly for years at a time, skimming the sea surface for food, and returning to land only to breed, on islands throughout the equatorial zone.
The sooty tern was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766 as Sterna fuscata, bearing this name for many years until the genus Sterna was split up; it is now classified in the genus Onychoprion as Onychoprion fuscatus. The genus name is from ancient Greek onux, "claw" or "nail", and prion, "saw". The species name fuscatus is Latin for "dark".
The sooty tern has little interspecific variation, but it is usually divided into six to eight allopatric subspecies. Some recent authors further subdivide the Indopacific population into up to eight subspecies altogether, but much of the variation is clinal. The affinities of eastern Pacific birds (including O. f. manutarus of Easter Island) are most strongly contested. Six subspecies are currently accepted by the IOC:
Onychoprion fuscatus fuscatus (Linnaeus, 1766) – breeds on tropical Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean islands. Underparts white. Onychoprion fuscatus nubilosus... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Sooty Tern in Galápagos Islands
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Galápagos Islands
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus
Lava Gull
Leucophaeus fuliginosus
Swallow-tailed Gull
Creagrus furcatus
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Grey Gull
Leucophaeus modestus
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | Isla del Coco National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 10 | Coiba National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 11 | Komodo National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 12 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 16 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 17 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 18 | Ranomafana National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 19 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 20 | Ciénaga de Zapata | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 21 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Darién National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 23 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Sooty Tern in Galápagos Islands?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Sooty Tern sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 46 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sooty Tern in Galápagos Islands?
June has the highest sighting rate for Sooty Tern in Galápagos Islands in our monthly data.