Black tern

Chlidonias niger
Terns (Sternidae)

Summer plumage.
Black ternon RikenMon's Nature.Guide

CC-BY 2.0 rights : Ingrid Taylar

Black in summer and light in winter. In summer a black head and breast, the body and wings are dark grey and the rump is white. The under surface is lighter in colour than the upper surface. In winter, much lighter in colour all over, the head is white with a little black cap and the breast and belly are white. The wings and back are light grey with black shoulders. The feet are slightly webbed.

They are exceptional flyers living in large groups outside the breeding period. When migrating the groups consists of thousands of birds. 

⇔ l. 20-25 cm

Migratory bird arriving in Europe in May to raise the chicks, leaving promptly in July for tropical Africa. As do the Whiskered tern and the White-winged tern they feed in shallow waters and they are all called Marsh terns.

LA: 
≈ The CHLIDONIAS HYBRIDUS (Whiskered tern) has only a dark cap with white cheeks. 
≈ The CHLIDONIAS LEUCOPTERUS (White-winged tern) has a black head and body with a grey back and lighter wings 
See photos LA.

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