Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Tiny, delicate-looking tern. Mainly coastal, but also occurs inland locally. Breeding plumage has black cap with white forehead chevron, black-tipped yellow bill. Readily identified by tiny size, though wintering adults can be confusingly similar in patterning to Common Tern; look out for black stripes extending from the shoulder to the wingtip. Breeds colonially on sandy and stony substrates, at times with other terns, from beaches to riverbanks and lakeshores. Often overlooked unless noisy and mobbing you at a colony. Flies with hurried deep wingbeats; splash dives in water to catch small fish.
Identification
The little tern (Sternula albifrons) is a small seabird of the family Laridae. It is widely distributed breeding on the coasts and inland waterways of Europe, Asia, north and west Africa, and eastern Australia. It winters in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia.
Taxonomy
Genus: Sternula; Family: Laridae; Order: Charadriiformes.
- Scientific name
- Sternula albifrons
- Authority
- (Pallas, 1764)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Sternula
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Slaty-backed Forktail
Enicurus schistaceus
The only forktail in its range for which the adult has a gray back and crown; pattern is otherwise similar to that of Black-backed Forktail, which it overlaps partially in range. White on the head is restricted to a thick eyebrow that reaches behind the eye--instead of a full crown--giving it a more small-headed appearance than White-crowned and Spotted forktails. Like other forktails, prefers fast-flowing forested streams.
Green-barred Woodpecker
Colaptes melanochloros
Medium-sized woodpecker found in lightly forested habitats and more open areas with scattered trees. Yellow-green above with black spotted bars on the wings, back, and tail and spotted below. Note the striking face pattern with a pale eyemask, black forehead, and red hind crown. Males have a red “moustache,” which is black on females.
Southern Scrub-Robin
Drymodes brunneopygia
Long-legged songbird found in semi-arid parts of southern Australia. Grayish above, paler gray below, with faint wingbars and long tail, often flicked upward. Very subtle dark mark through the eye and cheek. Usually seen running around on the ground in open woodland, although male also sings from higher perches. Main call is a repeated three-note rising whistle, "chip-dee-deee," but also makes rough, buzzy alarm calls.
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