Roseate Tern

Sterna Dougallii Order: CHARADRIIFORMES Family: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)

Breeding Location:

Coastal, sea



Breeding Type:

Monogamous, Colonial



Breeding Population:

Uncommon to rare



Egg Color:

White to buff with red brown and gray speckles



Number of Eggs:

1 - 3



Incubation Days:

21 - 26



Egg Incubator:

Both sexes



Nest Material:

Lined with bits of debris, dry grass, seaweed, and rubbish



Migration:

Migratory



Splitbar

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Overview

Roseate Tern: White below with slight, variable pinkish cast visible in good light; pale gray above with black cap, nape and deeply forked tail that projects well beyond wingtips at rest. Bill mostly black with some red at base; legs and feet are red-orange. Graceful, direct flight.

Range and Habitat

Roseate Tern: Offshore Florida Keys, and along New England coast from Long Island to Nova Scotia.

Breeding and Nesting

Roseate Tern: Highly marine and coastal; comes ashore only to nest. Nest built by both sexes on ground, under cover, lined with debris, dry grass, and seaweed. Lays one to three white to buff eggs speckled with red brown and gray. Incubation ranges from 21 to 26 days and is carried out by both sexes; first flight at 27 to 30 days, but young may leave nest as early as a few days after hatching. One brood per year.

Foraging and Feeding

Roseate Tern: Eats mainly small fish. Plunge dives for prey, often hovering before making its next catch. Often forms noisy active flocks when predatory fish drive schools of small fish to the surface.

Vocalization

Roseate Tern: Call is soft "chi-weep"; alarm signal is high clear "keer" or drawn-out "zra-ap" (like ripping cloth). Attack is "zhrrraaaaach."

Similar Species

Roseate Tern: Common Tern is slightly smaller with black-tipped red bill, dark wing tips; shorter, less deeply-forked tail with dark outer border; different voice. Arctic Tern is grayer, gray mantle, wings, and underparts; white cheeks, dusky gray wing tips; deeply-forked tail has gray on outer margins; different voice.

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Family Tern (Laridae)_blue
Species Sterna Dougallii
Length12.5 - 15.5 Inches
Wingspan29 Inches

Roseate Tern

Roseate Tern: White below with slight, variable pinkish cast visible in good light; pale gray above with black cap, nape and deeply forked tail that projects well beyond wingtips at rest. Bill mostly black with some red at base; legs and feet are red-orange. Graceful, direct flight.

● Song: "chi-wee", "keer", "zra-ap", "zhrrraaaaach"

● Foraging & Feeding: Roseate Tern: Eats mainly small fish. Plunge dives for prey, often hovering before making its next catch. Often forms noisy active flocks when predatory fish drive schools of small fish to the surface.

● Breeding & nesting: Roseate Tern: Highly marine and coastal; comes ashore only to nest. Nest built by both sexes on ground, under cover, lined with debris, dry grass, and seaweed. Lays one to three white to buff eggs speckled with red brown and gray. Incubation ranges from 21 to 26 days and is carried out by both sexes; first flight at 27 to 30 days, but young may leave nest as early as a few days after hatching. One brood per year.

● Similar species: Roseate Tern: Common Tern is slightly smaller with black-tipped red bill, dark wing tips; shorter, less deeply-forked tail with dark outer border; different voice. Arctic Tern is grayer, gray mantle, wings, and underparts; white cheeks, dusky gray wing tips; deeply-forked tail has gray on outer margins; different voice.

Flight Pattern

Fairly stiff, quick, almost hurried wingbeats.
Roseate Tern: Breeding Male
● Range & Habitat: Roseate Tern: Offshore Florida Keys, and along New England coast from Long Island to Nova Scotia.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationUncommon to rare
MigrationMigratory
Weight3.8 Ounces