Black-bellied Tern
Sterna acuticauda
Elegant tern with a long tail and a slender orange bill. Breeding adult has a full black cap and dark belly. Non-breeding adult is paler-bellied and has only a solid black nape patch, with the black of the crown reduced to mottling. Larger, bulkier River Tern can be similar, but averages shorter- and thicker-billed, lacks black belly in breeding plumage, and has patchier black on the head in non-breeding plumage. Black-bellied breeds on sandy or gravel islands in rivers and lakes, but forages over a wider range of wetland habitats. Gives squeaky “wee’tew!” notes. Uncommon and declining.
Identification
The black-bellied tern grows to a length of 32 to 35 cm (13 to 14 in). In the breeding plumage, the crown and nape are black and the upper parts are pale grey. The throat is white and the breast pale grey, gradually darkening to a black belly. The wings are long, slender and pointed and the tail is deeply forked with sharply pointed tips. The bill and feet are yellow or orange and the iris is reddish brown. Outside the breeding season, the belly is whitish, the tail is reduced in length and the bill has a dark tip.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Sterna acuticauda
- Authority
- Gray, JE, 1831
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Sterna
Range and habitat
The species occurs mostly in Pakistan, Nepal, India and Bangladesh, with a separate range in Myanmar. Its typical habitat is lowland rivers and marshes, and sometimes ditches and pools, at altitudes of up to about 730 m (2,400 ft). It is an entirely inland species and is not found on the coast.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The black-bellied tern has long wings but its flight is slow, with much flapping. It feeds on insects and small fish, skimming over the surface of the water and ground to pick up insects, and plunging obliquely into the water to feed on crustaceans, tadpoles and fish. Breeding takes place from February to April, the nesting site usually being a flat sandy location near a river or lake, a sand spit or a sandy island. It does not nest colonially but may nest with other birds such as river terns (Sterna aurantia), pratincoles (Glareola spp.) and Indian skimmers (Rynchops albicollis).
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Riverbank Warbler
Myiothlypis rivularis
Brownish warbler with a strong vireo-like head pattern. Note the strong white eyebrow offset by a gray crown that is bordered with black. Largely olive-green above and buff below. The northern subspecies lacks the black border to the crown and has cinnamon-buff underparts and eyebrow. Usually seen foraging on the forest floor next to streams and rivers. The song is an ascending series of very loud whistles.
Lesser White-fronted Goose
Anser erythropus
Generally uncommon medium-sized goose. Dark chocolate brown with a white forehead and bubblegum-pink bill. Similar to Greater White-fronted Goose: Lesser is slightly smaller and shorter-necked with a rather small, stubby bill, a distinct but narrow yellow eyering, and a more extensive white forehead. Usually seen as singles or small groups among flocks of other geese. Breeds in scrubby tundra and winters in agricultural fields, saltmarshes, and drier areas adjacent to wetlands. Gives high squeaks, often while in flight.
Sombre Nightjar
Caprimulgus fraenatus
A medium-sized typical nightjar with a golden-buff collar. Both sexes have small pale marks in the outer wings and at the corners of the tail. These are larger and whiter on males, and smaller and more buffy in females. Generally local and uncommon in savanna and grassland habitats, often in rocky areas. Similar to Nubian Nightjar, but darker overall, with less rufous in the wings. Also similar to many other nightjars, and best identified by voice. Call is a high-pitched, mechanical trill, similar to that of Plain Nightjar, but slightly lower-pitched.
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