0 recent observations
Brief #
Black cap and bill with red base, upper wings are pale grey and its under parts white.
Description #
Thin sharp bill is black, with a red base which develops through the breeding season, and is more extensive in the tropical and southern hemisphere races. It is shorter-winged and has faster wing beats than common or Arctic tern. The upper wings are pale grey and its under parts white, and this tern looks very pale in flight, like a small Sandwich tern, although the outermost primary flight feathers darken during the summer. The adults have very long, flexible tail streamers and orange-red legs. In summer, the underparts of adults take on the pinkish tinge which gives this bird its name.
Measurements #
Length: 33 - 36 cm
Wingspan: 67 - 76 cm
Weight: 110 - 120 g
Gallery #
