White-winged Tern
White-winged Tern: Small tern, black head, body, and underwing coverts; white rump, vent, upperwing coverts, and tail; flight feathers are pale gray. Bill is dark red to black; Red legs and feet. Fluttering, uneven flight with slow, shallow wing beats. Hovers before dipping for prey.
● Song:
"kersch", "kreek"
● Foraging & Feeding:
White-winged Tern: Feeds on insects, small fish, invertebrates, crabs, and shrimp. Often forages while flying into the wind, then drifts downwind to repeat the maneuver; also plunge dives, surface snatches, and skims.
● Breeding & nesting:
White-winged Tern: Three brown to dark brown eggs with black brown blotches are laid on a mat of floating marsh vegetation or dead grass. Incubation ranges from 17 to 22 days and is carried out by both parents.
● Similar species:
White-winged Tern: Other short-tailed terns lack black bodies and white wings.