Bridled Tern

Sterna anaethetus Order: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)
Bridled Tern Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: All-purpose
  • Eye Color: Dark black-brown.
  • Head Pattern: Eyeline, Capped
  • Crown Color: Black
  • Forehead Color: White
  • Nape Color: Black
  • Throat Color: White
  • Cere color: No Data
Splitbar

Recommended Products:

Clingers Only Feeder
Weather resistant inexpensive feeder is ideal for small birds.
Suet Delight
Easy to hang and maintain, holds all kinds of packaged suet.
Ultimate Woodpecker Feeder
Only allows woodpeckers to feed made of Inland Cedar.
The No-No Copper Feeder
Beautiful copper feeder holds 2.5 lbs of sunflower seeds.
Attracting Clingers
Bridled Tern Body Illustration

Body

  • Length Range: 32-38 cm (12.5-15 in)
  • Weight: 96 g (3.4 oz)
  • Size: Size 3. Medium (9 - 16 in)
  • Color: White, Brown, Black
  • Underparts: White
  • Upperparts: Gray-brown
  • Back Pattern: Solid
  • Belly Pattern: Solid
  • Breast Pattern: Solid
Bridled Tern Flight Illustration

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Graceful, buoyant flight; swoops down to pick food from surface; does not plunge dive. Rests on driftwood, weedlines, and even on turtles.
  • Wingspan Range: 76-85 cm (30-33.5 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings, Long-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Forked Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Dark Gray, White edging
  • Upper Tail: Gray
  • Under Tail: White
  • Leg Color: Black
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Family Tern (Laridae)_blue
Species Sterna anaethetus
Length12.5 - 15 Inches
Wingspan30 Inches

Bridled Tern

Bridled Tern: Medium pelagic tern. Black crown, nape separated from gray-brown upperparts by whitish collar. Chevron-shaped white forehead patch extends behind eye. Long pointed wings and deeply forked tail. Whitish underparts; underwings have brown trailing edge. Black bill, legs.

● Song: "kowk-kowk", "kwawk Kwawk", "kahrrr" , "weeeep", "wep-wep-wep", "wup-wup"

● Foraging & Feeding: Bridled Tern: Eats small fish, squid, crustaceans, and insects. Hovers over water, swoops down to pick food from surface. Does not plunge dive. Feeds day or night.

● Breeding & nesting: Bridled Tern: Monogamous; colonial. Common Caribbean species, nests off Florida Keys (Pelican Shoals). Single white to pale buff egg marked with brown, hidden on ground under matted plant material. Incubation ranges from 28 to 30 days and is carried out by both sexes. Young fed by both sexes, fledge at 55-63 days.

● Similar species: Bridled Tern: Sooty Tern is larger, heavier in build, shorter tail, will alight on sea surface. Sooty Tern's white forehead patch does not extend beyond eye.

Flight Pattern

Graceful, buoyant flight; swoops down to pick food from surface; does not plunge dive. Rests on driftwood, weedlines, and even on turtles.
Bridled Tern Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Bridled Tern: Pelagic. Breeds April - August in Florida Keys. Found in Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico and along shoreward edge of Gulf Stream north to North Carolina, rarely as far as New Jersey.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationFairly common in range
MigrationMigratory
Weight3.4 Ounces