The Caspian tern is the world's largest species of tern, with a scattered, near-worldwide distribution, and is monotypic within its genus Hydroprogne, with no recognized subspecies. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek for water with the Latin for swallow, and the species name refers to the Caspian Sea. It is a substantial seabird, 48 to 60 centimeters long with a 127 to 145 centimeter wingspan and weighing 530 to 782 grams, with black legs, a long thick red orange bill with a small black tip, a white head with a black cap, white neck and underparts, pale grey upper wings with dark primary feathers, and a tail less forked than in other terns; its call is a loud heron like croak. Its breeding habitat spans large lakes and ocean coasts across North America, including the Great Lakes, Europe's Baltic and Black Seas, Asia, Africa and Australasia, and North American birds migrate to southern coasts and the West Indies while European and Asian birds winter in Old World tropics. The global population is estimated at about 50,000 pairs, with Baltic populations of particular conservation concern. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Living or Extinct Comparison
NatureServe Rank CITES Appendix Scientific Name Conservation Status Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
In Ecosystem
Source Caspian tern (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Caspian tern (Wikipedia)
Introduction
The genus name is from Ancient Greek hudro-, "water-", and Latin progne, "swallow". The specific caspia is from Latin and, like the English name, refers to the Caspian Sea.
Feeding
They feed mainly on fish, which they dive for, hovering high over the water and then plunging.
Infobox: status
LC
In Ecosystem: Great Lakes, Distribution and habitat
Their breeding habitat is large lakes and ocean coasts in North America (including the Great Lakes), and locally in Europe (mainly around the Baltic Sea and Black Sea), Asia, Africa, and Australasia (Australia and New Zealand).
In Biome: Lake, Distribution and habitat
Their breeding habitat is large lakes and ocean coasts in North America (including the Great Lakes), and locally in Europe (mainly around the Baltic Sea and Black Sea), Asia, Africa, and Australasia (Australia and New Zealand).
View the Source2. Caspian tern (Wikidata)
WikidataStatements section, conservation status (P141)
Wikidata Q27129: least concern (P141).
- Child Taxon Of: Laridae, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source 3. NatureServe Explorer: Hydroprogne caspia
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "G5"
View the Source 4. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Aves
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 32Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 32
"cites_listing":"I/II/III/NC","eu_listing":"A/B/C/D/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Chordata","class":"Aves","order":null,"family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"Aves","language":"ES"},{"name":"Birds","language":"EN"},{"name":"Oiseaux","language":"FR"},{"name":"鸟纲","language":"ZH"}],"cites_listings":[]
View the Source 5. Wikipedia: Caspian tern
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Laridae
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 480Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 480
"cites_listing":"I/NC","eu_listing":"A/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Chordata","class":"Aves","order":"Charadriiformes","family":"Laridae"},"synonyms":[{"id":35007,"full_name":"Gelochelidon nilotica","author_year":"(Gmelin, 1789)","rank":"SPECIES"},{"id":33900,"full_name":"Hydroprogne tschegrava","author_year":"(Lepechin, 1770)","rank":"SPECIES"}],"common_names":[{"name":"Mouette Relique","language":"FR"},{"name":"Gull","language":"EN"},{"name":"Gaviotas, Charranges","language":"ES"},{"name":"鸥科","language":"ZH"}],"cites_listings":[]
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