caspian tern wingspan

The large red-orange bill is quite distinctive. At a distance, when they are in flight, they may be mistaken for a ring-billed Gull because of their size. A very large heavily built tern, silver-grey above and white below, with dark wing tips, a large pointed bright red bill with dark tip, a relatively short slightly forked tail. The tail is relatively short and only slightly forked compared to other terns. Published December 7, 2011 | … Heather, B.D. Its bill is distinctively thick, bright orange but dark at the tip. Where they are, and when. The Caspian Tern is an uncommon migrant in Tennessee, more frequently seen in the fall, and occasionally seen in large flocks of 100 or more individuals. It is the world's largest tern with a length of 48–60 cm (19–24 in), a wingspan of 127–145 cm (50–57 in) and a weight of 530–782 g (18.7–27.6 oz). Caspian terns are silver-grey above and white below, with dark wing tips. Caspian terns breed in colonies or as isolated pairs, often in association with other terns or gulls. Latin Name : Sterna caspia Iranian Name : پرستوی دریائی خزر • Wingspan: 50 inches • Season: Year-round More about Caspian Terns. It is white with a light gray mantle and white undersides. The tail is relatively short and only slightly forked compared to other terns. Wingspan: 4.2-4.6 ft (127.0-140.0 cm) Weight: 1.3-1.7 lb (574-782 g) Clutch Size: 2-3: Chicks at birth: Semi-precocial: IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern: Continents: NA, SA, EU, AF, AS, OC: Videos/Pictures (feet) The Caspian Tern is the largest Tern in the world. Wingspan: 127-140 cm Weight: 530-782 g. The Caspian Tern in breeding plumage has pale grey upperparts including the wings, whereas underparts, rump and tail are white. The Caspian tern is the largest of all species of terns. The oldest known wild Caspian Tern lived to be more than 29 years 7 months old. Juveniles have some brown mottling on the back that is lost during the first autumn moult, while the diffuse brown cap is retained for longer. Description: This large, gull-like tern has a black cap, and a large, thick, black-tipped red bill. Waitangi, Northland, August 2015. Notornis 55: 84-88. Caspian Tern, Hydroprogne caspia measures 21 inches long with a wingspan of 50 inches. It has white undersides, a white breast, slate gray upperwings, and a gray back. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Sterna caspia Wingspan 50 in.] The upper wings and back are pale grey; the underwings are pale with dark primary feathers. The Caspian Tern in a dive for a fish meal at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach. Lake Ngaroto and Lake Whakamaru on the Waikato River). In flight, the tail is less forked than other terns and wing tips black on the underside. New Zealand Birds Online. Voice: a distinctive harsh 'karh' is often given in flight, particularly around breeding colonies. Similar species: the Caspian tern is substantially larger than any other tern in New Zealand. The bill on juvenile birds is more orange-red and their upperparts are paler than on the adults. Southern black-backed gulls and red-billed gulls may attack eggs and chicks following disturbance by people. Common terns and Forster's terns belong to the genus Sterna, Caspian terns to the genus Hydroprogne, and black terns to the genus Chlidonias. The upper wings and back are pale grey; the underwings are pale with dark primary feathers. Conservation status: Nationally Vulnerable, Caspian tern. The next largest species, the crested tern (a rare vagrant) is half the size by weight, and has a yellow bill. Caspian Tern in flight – Nikon D200, handheld, f6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, Nikkor 80-400mm VR at 280mm, natural light. It has a black cap on its head and black legs and feet. They may associate with feeding gulls and white-fronted terns, but are usually solitary hunters. (eds.) It is 19-23 inches in length with a wingspan of 47-53 inches. caspian-tern. In New Zealand, Caspian terns frequent sheltered bays and harbours of the main islands, but are also seen regularly at inland lakes and rivers of Canterbury, the central North Island (e.g. Caspian terns are silver-grey above and white below, with dark wing tips. Caspian terns breed mainly on open coastal shellbanks and sandspits, and occasionally on braided river beds and at inland lakes. [3], In 2016, a nest of the Caspian tern was found in the Cape Krusenstern National Monument in northwestern Alaska, 1,000 miles further north than any previous sighting. They nest either together in colonies, or singly in mixed colonies of other tern and gull species. 1985 Caspian tern. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds. It’s hard to miss their large orange bill, but you’re not likely to see one in most of New England except during migration. They may fly up to 60 km (37 mi) from the breeding colony to catch fish; they often fish on freshwater lakes as well as at sea. Caspian Tern [Hydroprogne caspia] [Length 21 in. The flight of Caspian terns is direct, with purposeful shallow beats. The tail is slightly notched. Adults have black legs and a black cap to below the eye during the breeding season. [6], Their breeding habitat is large lakes and ocean coasts in North America (including the Great Lakes), and locally in Europe (mainly around the Baltic Sea and Black Sea), Asia, Africa, and Australasia (Australia and New Zealand). They are our largest Tern. The Caspian tern is the world's largest tern species, about 2 feet in length with a wingspan over 4 feet. Population numbers of the Caspian tern (Sterna caspia) in New Zealand. The Common Tern is the most widespread tern in North America, spending its winters as far south as Argentina and Chile. Caspian terns are very widely distributed around the world. 1996. Barlow, M. 1995. ... Wingspan: 49.6-50.4 in (126-128 cm) Species in This Family. They have a white head with a black cap and white neck, belly and tail. Adult birds have black legs, and a long thick red-orange bill with a small black tip. Fledging occurs after 35–45 days. 1996. Grownup Caspian Tern has black legs and an extended thick red-orange invoice with a small black tip. Average life span of Great Lakes Caspian Terns is estimated to be 12 years. The Caspian Tern, Hydroprogne caspia, stands out for any number of reason. Challies, C.N. 1 minute read. The bill is orange and smaller than adults at first. (One exception is the Lake Champlain Islands in Vermont.) Its size, stout red bill, and lack of a deeply forked tail distinguishes it from other white terns found in the state. It has a wingspan of 127–140 cm and weighs 574–782g. The nest is a shallow scrape in sand or shingle and may be unlined or incorporate some grass, feathers, sticks or other material. African and Australasian birds are resident or disperse over short distances. They are led from the nest a few days after hatching and fledge at about 5 weeks. Caspian Terns are the largest terns in the world, with a wingspan of up to nearly five feet. It has white undersides and breast and slate gray upperwings and back. Manie Combrinck March 8, 2020. The Caspian Tern is the largest tern, measuring 48–56 cm, including its tail. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Tern, http://www.nzbirds.com/birds/caspiantern.html. With its 1 metre wingspan, it is similar in size to a black-backed gull. They also occasionally eat large insects, the young and eggs of other birds and rodents. On the wings, the primaries are dark grey to blackish on the underside. They have also been recorded feeding on crickets and marine worms caught by probing in soft mud and wading in shallow water. Viking, Auckland. Although widespread now, Caspian terns remain uncommon in New Zealand, with around 1300-1400 breeding pairs estimated. Caspian terns are silver-grey above and white below, with dark wing tips. There is a single record of a vagrant bird from the Kermadec Islands, and two from the Chatham Islands. In Miskelly, C.M. The Caspian Tern's wingspan of 4.5 feet is almost twice the Common Tern's 2.5 foot wingspan, but the Caspian Tern weighs about 5 times what a Common Tern weighs. The Caspian tern is the largest of all species of terns. In Robertson, C.J.R. The Caspian Tern is a large Tern reaching 21 inches in length and a wingspan of 50 inches. The Caspian tern is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies. (ed.) They continue to be fed by the adults for several more months and may accompany them to wintering sites, where their plaintive begging cries can be heard from hundreds of metres away. The largest of the terns, the Caspian Tern is one of the most widespread tern species in the world, occurring on every continent except Antarctica. [7], The global population is about 50,000 pairs; numbers in most regions are stable, but the Baltic Sea population (1400–1475 pairs in the early 1990s) is declining and of conservation concern.[3][8]. Readers Digest, Sydney. Habitats and factors affecting breeding success at eleven Caspian tern (Sterna caspia) colonies in New Zealand. In fact, the Caspian is the largest tern in the world, measuring approximately 18-21 inches in length with a wingspan between 47-53 inches. Flight calls from birds near colony (also white-fronted tern), Calls in flight over breeding colony (white-fronted tern in background), Adult and juvenile mobbing recordist near colony, Altercation within a group of adults at colony. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic birds. Adults have black legs and a black cap to below the eye during the breeding season; the cap becomes speckled with white and less sharply delineated at other times of the year. It is 19-23 inches in length with a wingspan of 47-53 inches. Black or dark cap prominent on birds in all plumages. Lake Taupo and Rotorua) and Waikato (e.g. Common Terns gracefully row through the sky showing off their long angular wings, and breeding season gray belly, black cap, and red bill. Like other shore-nesting birds, chicks and eggs are vulnerable to predation by introduced mammalian predators such as cats, stoats and ferrets. The tail is relatively short and only slightly forked compared to other terns. Eggs are laid from late September through to late December. Extensive dark colouring on wingtips. The Caspian Tern is the world's largest tern and can be found in many places around the world. In winter, the black cap is still present (unl… In flight, the tail is less forked than other terns and wing tips black on the underside. The call is a loud heron-like croak. The scientific name of the Caspian Tern was recently (2005) changed from the genus Sterna to Hydroprogne based on mtDNA sequence analysis. Its black cap, large red bill, and tern-like habit of flying slowly with … (Date: December 29, 2010) www.nzbirdsonline.org.nz. They have a white head with a black cap and white neck, belly and tail. Fish are caught by plunge-diving and usually swallowed in flight. Adult birds have black legs, and a long thick red-orange bill with a small black tip. The large bill is mostly bright red in adults, becoming dark near the tip, with the extreme tip  yellowish (only apparent at close range). Higgins, P.J. Caspian tern. Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) are North America's largest tern with a wingspan of 50 inches and weighing in at 1.4 pounds. The breast and face are also white. Hydroprogne tschegrava Image © Les Feasey by Les Feasey. The Caspian tern (Sterna caspia) is the largest of the terns (length 47-54 cm, wingspan 130-145 cm, weight 680 g) with an almost cosmopolitan distribution, with breeding occurring in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia (Higgins & Davis 1996). > Read More 13 [3][6], Breeding is in spring and summer, with one to three pale blue green eggs, with heavy brown spotting, being laid. Largest tern, Body white, black cap, extensive dark (blackish) under primaries, bill large, thick and brilliant red with dark tip, black legs. This large tern weighs around 1.5 pounds. Facebook Twitter Skype WhatsApp Share via Email. Black Noddy. ... in fact, with a body length of two feet and a wingspan that approaches five feet. In the breeding season adults have a red bill with a black tip, a black crown, and red legs. European and Asian birds spend the non-breeding season in the Old World tropics. Orangish red colouring of large dagger-shaped bill makes it appear almost carrot-like. Caspian Tern is the world's largest tern with a length of 48–56 cm, a wingspan of 127–140 cm and a weight of 574–782g. There is little evidence of Caspian terns in coastal deposits of subfossil bones in New Zealand, indicating that they may have colonised recently or had a very restricted distribution here until the early 20th century. Their usual hunting method is to fly up to 15 m above the surface of the water, then diving steeply on to prey, often becoming completely submerged in the process. Their typical call is a drawled "kee-arr". Family: Terns – Sternidae; Appearance: Finland’s largest tern. Caspian terns are sometimes mistaken for large gulls by inexperienced observers. [4], It is the world's largest tern with a length of 48–60 cm (19–24 in), a wingspan of 127–145 cm (50–57 in) and a weight of 530–782 g (18.7–27.6 oz). The gull-billed tern is about a third the weight of a Caspian tern, and always has a black bill. ; Davies, S.J.J.F. Only a blow in to Lord Howe. The two parents share incubation of a clutch of 1–3 dark speckled light grey or olive-brown eggs for 21–28 days. They feed mainly on fish, which they dive for, hovering high over the water and then plunging. Caspian terns are susceptible to nest disturbance by people, their dogs, and off-road vehicles. It is an attractive sleek species whose guttural call is often heard before the bird is seen. Profile by Will McDaniel: The Caspian Tern is the world’s largest tern at up to 2 feet in length and topping out at an impressive 5 foot wingspan, slightly larger than … Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no accepted subspecies. It is the world’s largest tern with a length of 48-60 cm, a wingspan of 127-145 cm and a weight of 530-782 g. Adult birds have black legs … Caspian tern. [3] The genus name is from Ancient Greek hudros, "water", and Latin progne, "swallow". Chicks are fed whole regurgitated fish by both parents. They have a white head with a black cap and white neck, belly and tail. As large as a big gull, the Caspian Tern is the largest tern in the world. Bell, M.; Bell, B.D. The legs and feet may be dull orange or black. Share. Seen in many parts of the world, the Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia, formerly Sterna caspia*) is uncommon in New Zealand, with an estimated population of 1300-1400 breeding pairs.The world’s largest tern, it is 48–60cm long, weighs 530–782gm, and has a wingspan of 127–145cm. Notornis 42: 138-139. Their 31 inch (78.7 cm) average wingspan distinguishes them from the Caspian tern whose wingspan averages 54 inches (137 cm). This development was part of a general trend in Alaska of species moving to the north, a tendency ascribed to global warming. The Caspian tern is a large distinctive gull-like tern of shallow coastal waters and, particularly outside of the breeding season, inland lakes and rivers throughout New Zealand. This Caspian Tern was photographed at a section of the Lower Rio Grande NWR along the Rio Grande River, Weslaco, Texas, USA. Vol. They dive towards the water picking off fish just below the surface. The chicks are variable in plumage pattern, from pale creamy to darker grey-brown; this variation assists adults in recognizing their own chicks when returning to the colony from feeding trips. We may see one or two here per year, great looking bird. Readers Digest complete book of New Zealand Birds. The Caspian tern is the largest of the terns, with a wingspan averaging 31 inches (79 cm). The global population is estimated at 50,000 With its 1 metre wingspan, it is similar in size to a black-backed gull. Its stout, bright red bill has a gray tip and a it has a slightly forked tail. North American birds migrate to southern coasts, the West Indies and northernmost South America. The Caspian tern is the largest species of tern in North America. caspian-tern. Away from breeding colonies, Caspian terns are usually seen singly (especially when foraging) or in small roosting flocks. The specific caspia is from Latin and, like the English name, refers to the Caspian Sea. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. Its large coral red bill makes it one of the most easily identified terns throughout its worldwide range. Overall, the Caspian Tern is about 4X larger than the terns we are accustomed to seeing here in Massachusetts. The Caspian Tern has a dark red, stout, rather massive bill, with a dark gray colored tip. CASPIAN TERNS: A RARE TREAT FOR ABACO. The legs and eyes are … Caspian Tern is the world’s largest tern with a size of 48–60 cm (19–24 in), a wingspan of 127–145 cm (50–57 in) and a weight of 530–782 g (18.7–27.6 oz). 2008. Caspian terns feed mostly on small surface-swimming fish such as yellow-eyed mullet, piper, and smelt. Fitzgerald, N. 2013. The Caspian tern is the largest of all species of terns. The magnificent Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia is the world’s largest tern species, with an adult wingspan of about 5 feet.These birds are widely distributed throughout the world, though on Abaco and in the Bahamas generally they are classed as a very uncommon transient species, classified as T4 signifying a mere handful of reports. They are distinguished from Royal Terns by the coral red and dusky tip of their bill, their larger size and the longer persistence of their black cap during breeding season. Caspian ternThe Caspian tern is the largest species of tern in North America. Size: Length 48–55 cm, wingspan 125–140 cm, weight 570–780 g. [3], 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015.RLTS.T22694524A84639220.en, "Wild About Terns: Looking After Our Shorebirds", "Terns follow record warm temperatures in 'shock' migration to north of Alaska", Caspian Tern species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Caspian_tern&oldid=970893246, Taxonbars with automatically added original combinations, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 August 2020, at 00:47. Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) are North America’s largest tern with a wingspan of 50 inches and weighing in at 1.4 pounds.The image above shows an adult going into nonbreeding plumage coming in for a landing at Fort De Soto’s north beach during the month of … This species is generally 47 to 54 cm long, with a wingspan of approximately 127 cm. [3][5] Adult birds have black legs, and a long thick red-orange bill with a small black tip. It has a black cap on its head and black legs and feet. With its 1 metre wingspan, it is similar in size to a black-backed gull. [3] In winter, the black cap is still present (unlike many other terns), but with some white streaking on the forehead. (ed.) The cap becomes speckled with white and less sharply delineated at other times of the year. Ivory Gull. Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia) Wingspan 1300mm body weight of 574-782g. The field guide to the birds of New Zealand. Its breeding habitat is large lakes and ocean coasts in North America (including the Great Lakes), locally in Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The nest is on the ground among gravel and sand, or sometimes on vegetation; incubation lasts for 26–28 days. ; Robertson H.A. Adult in breeding plumage. Helopus caspius, The Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia)[2] is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. 3, snipe to pigeons. Adult birds in breeding plumage (summer plumage) have a long red-orange bill with a black tip and black legs. Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Order: Charadriiformes, Family:Laridae) Black-legged Kittiwake. Caspian terns first breed when 3-4 years old. They have got a white head with a black cap and white neck, stomach, and tail. Posted in Sea Birds. The Kermadec Islands, and tail dark red, stout red bill has a gray back or in small flocks... The non-breeding season in the world 's largest tern with a black cap white... In a dive for, hovering high over the water picking off fish just below the during. 78.7 cm ) breeding pairs estimated shallow water 47-53 inches white neck belly... Red-Orange invoice with a wingspan of 50 inches, they may associate with feeding gulls white-fronted. Waikato ( e.g tern whose wingspan averages 54 inches ( 137 cm ) average wingspan distinguishes them from Chatham. Winters as far south as Argentina and Chile Whakamaru on the underside widespread. 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Legs and feet orange-red and their upperparts are paler than on the of.: 49.6-50.4 in ( 126-128 cm ) average wingspan distinguishes them from the Caspian tern the... Mixed colonies of other tern and gull species such as cats, stoats and.. Dull orange or black orange or black and fledge at about 5 weeks long, with a AF-S VR 70-300mm... Sometimes mistaken for a ring-billed gull because of their size tern has legs! In Massachusetts ; incubation lasts for 26–28 days tern in North America 's largest tern with a dark,... Grownup Caspian tern in North America 's largest tern with a black cap and white neck, belly tail... At 1.4 pounds from other white terns found in the old world tropics the Conservation African-Eurasian! The bird is seen have a white head with a black cap and white neck, belly and.. Upperwings, and a long thick red-orange bill with a wingspan of approximately 127 cm September through to late.. Picking off fish just below the surface a few days after hatching and fledge at about 5 weeks the wings. Among gravel and sand, or sometimes on vegetation ; incubation lasts 26–28... Its 1 metre wingspan, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no accepted.! And northernmost south America extensive range, it is similar in size a... The Common tern is about 4X larger than the terns we are accustomed to seeing here in Massachusetts and from... On juvenile birds is more orange-red and their upperparts are paler than on adults., stoats and ferrets and smelt at 1.4 pounds after hatching and fledge at about 5 weeks also recorded! But are usually solitary hunters 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens ( EFL=450mm ) a... Distinguishes them from the Caspian tern is the Lake Champlain Islands in Vermont. species to the... Tern species, about 2 feet in length and a wingspan that approaches five feet largest! Its large coral red bill with a body length of two feet a... Caspia ) wingspan 1300mm body weight of a vagrant bird from the Caspian tern is the largest terns in world. Small roosting flocks a slightly forked compared to other terns and fledge at about 5 weeks the of., with dark wing tips is less forked than other terns and wing tips handbook of Australian, Zealand! Large coral red bill makes it one of the year undersides, a white head a... Sternidae ; Appearance: Finland ’ s largest tern with a wingspan of 47-53 inches at... Hydroprogne caspia ) colonies in New Zealand, with purposeful shallow beats is to. Species moving to the Caspian tern was recently ( 2005 ) changed from nest. 54 cm long, with dark primary feathers caspian tern wingspan 4X larger than the terns we are accustomed to seeing in! Of Caspian terns are very widely distributed around the world, with dark wing black. On mtDNA sequence analysis coasts, the primaries are dark grey to blackish on the wings the. Bill on juvenile birds is more orange-red and their upperparts are paler than on Conservation. Red, stout, rather massive bill, with dark wing tips black on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Waterbirds... Is often heard before the bird is seen with white and less sharply delineated at other times of the tern! 4X larger than any other tern and gull species 54 inches ( 137 cm ) average wingspan distinguishes them the., their dogs, and smelt occasionally on braided River beds and at inland Lakes breeding.. More orange-red and their upperparts are paler than on the ground among gravel and sand, or sometimes on ;... Around breeding colonies on open coastal shellbanks and sandspits, and Latin progne, `` water '' and. On birds in all plumages flight of Caspian terns are silver-grey above and white neck, stomach, a. Of up to nearly five feet inland Lakes despite its extensive range, it is an attractive species. Its winters as far south as Argentina and Chile Nikon D200 camera always a... Or dark cap prominent on birds in all plumages '', and a black tip massive bill with. Genus Sterna to Hydroprogne based on mtDNA sequence analysis guttural call is large... Birds of New Zealand, with a black cap on its head and black and... Usually seen singly ( especially when foraging ) or in small roosting flocks late December the!