Black Tern

Chlidonias niger

Black Tern

“ We all carry these things inside that no one can see. They hold us down like anchors and they drown us out at sea. ”

– proverb

Scientific Taxonomy & Character Information

Domain: Eukaryota

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Charadriiformes

Family: Laridae

Genus: Chlidonias

Species: Chlidonias niger

Descendant: Sterna

Named by: Carl Linnaeus

Year Published: 1758

Size: 25 cm (10 in) long, with a wingspan 61 cm (24 in), and weigh 62 g (2+1⁄8 oz)

Lifespan: 21+ years

Type: 

Title: n/a

Pantheon: Terran/Gaian

Time Period: Holocene

Alignment: Shy

Threat Level: ★★

Diet: Carnivorous 🥩🐟💧

Elements: Water, air

Inflicts: n/a

Weaknesses: Electric, nature, ice, sound, earth, stunned

Casualties: n/a

Based On: itself

Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC) – IUCN Red List

Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) is a small tern generally found in or near inland water in Europe, Western Asia and North America. As its name suggests, it has predominantly dark plumage. In some lights it can appear blue in the breeding season, hence the old English name "blue darr".

Etymology

The genus name is from Ancient Greek χελιδονιος / khelidonios, "swallow-like", from χελιδον / khelidon, "swallow": another old English name for the black tern is "carr (i.e. lake) swallow". The species name is from Latin niger "shining black".

Physical Appearance

The bill is long, slender, and looks slightly decurved. They have a dark grey back, with a white forewing, black head, neck (occasionally suffused with grey in the adult) and belly, black or blackish-brown cap (which unites in color with the ear coverts, forming an almost complete hood), and a light brownish-grey, 'square' tail.


The face is white. There is a big dark triangular patch in front of the eye, and a broadish white collar in juveniles. There are greyish-brown smudges on the ides of the white breast, a downwards extension of the plumage of the upperparts.


These marks vary in size and are not conspicuous. In non-breeding plumage, most of the black, apart from the cap, is replaced by grey. The plumage of the upperparts is drab, with pale feather-edgings. The rump is brownish-grey.

Abilities

Coming soon.

Ecology

Arctic terns are long-lived birds, with many reaching fifteen to thirty years of age. They eat mainly fish and small marine invertebrates. The Arctic tern's meal varies depending on the season and location, but it is typically carnivorous. It typically consumes small fish or sea creatures. Fish species make up the majority of the diet and are responsible for more biomass consumption than any other type of food. Young (1-2 years old) shoaling organisms like herring, cod, sandlances, and capelin are the prey species. Amphipods, crabs, and krill are only a few of the sea crustaceans eaten. These birds occasionally consume mollusks, marine worms, berries, and insects on their northern breeding grounds.


Around the fourth or third year, breeding starts. Arctic terns typically return to a single colony each year and mate for life. Particularly in birds that are building their first nest, courtship is elaborate. The "high flight" phase of courtship involves the female pursuing the male up to a great height before descending gradually. "Fish flights," in which the male will present fish to the female, come after this display. On the ground, strutting is done while the wings are lowered and the tail is raised. Both birds will typically fly and circle one another after this.


Both sexes concur on a nesting location, and both will protect it. The male keeps on feeding the female during that time. Soon after, there is mating. Breeding occurs in colonies along the coast, on islands, and sporadically inland on tundra close to the water. In mixed flocks with common tern, it occurs frequently. For every clutch, it produces one three eggs, two.

Behavior

One of the most combative terns, it is ferociously protective of its nest & young. It will strike the top as well as the side of the head once assaulting people and dangerous animals. Although it is too small to seriously harm an animal the length of a human, it can still draw blood and deter many raptorial birds, polar bears, and other smaller mammalian predators like foxes and cats.

Distribution and Habitat

Their breeding habitat is freshwater marshes across most of Canada, the northern United States and much of Europe and western Asia. They usually nest either on floating material in a marsh or on the ground very close to water, laying 2–4 eggs.


Tamed

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Lore

Coming soon

Known Individuals

Gallery

Non-breeding plumage

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Breeding plumage

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by-group

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Foreign Languages

Coming soon

Trivia