Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusChlidonias (Marsh Terns)
- SpeciesChlidonias niger (Black Tern)
About the Black Tern
The black tern (Chlidonias niger) is a small tern generally found in or near inland water that breeds in Europe, Western Asia and North America. In winter the birds migrate to coastal areas of Africa and South America. The black tern was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Sterna nigra. Linnaeus specified the type location as Europe but it is now restricted to Uppsala in Sweden. The black tern is now one of four species placed in the genus Chlidonias that was introduced in 1822 by the French naturalist Constantine Rafinesque. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khelidonios, "swallow-like", from khelidon, "swallow": another old English name for the black tern is "carr (i.e. lake) swallow". The species name is from Latin niger "shining black". As its name suggests, it has predominantly dark plumage. In some lights it can appear blue in the breeding season, hence the old English name "blue darr".
Two subspecies are recognised. These are listed below with their breeding ranges. Adults are 25 cm (10 in) long, with a wingspan 61 cm (24 in), and weigh 62... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Black Tern in Monfragüe National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Monfragüe National Park
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Chroicocephalus ridibundus
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Yellow-legged Gull
Larus michahellis
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Tringa ochropus
Northern Lapwing
Vanellus vanellus
Common Snipe
Gallinago gallinago
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black Tern in Monfragüe National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Tern sighting in Monfragüe National Park, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black Tern in Monfragüe National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Black Tern in Monfragüe National Park in our monthly data.