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Chlidonias niger
The upper wings and tail are uniformly gray, aside from white lesser wing coverts which form a small white shoulder when the bird is at rest. During the winter, black feathers fade to gray on the back and turn white on the underparts. Juvenile black terns are similar to the adult in winter plumage, but have barred wing coverts and are generally scalloped brown overall. The chicks are able to swim, walk and run within two days of hatching and they fledge in 21-24 days. The North American population has declined due to habitat loss. The Black Tern is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. Source: NY Dept of Environmental Conservation and wikipedia
North America and Europe; North American Black terns migrate to the coasts of northern South America, some to the open ocean.
Spotted on Sep 9, 2011
Submitted on Jan 22, 2012
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