Bird Album
Black-fronted Tern
Chlidonias albostriatus (Gray, GR, 1845)
95 gWeight
The black-fronted tern (Chlidonias albostriatus), sea martin, ploughboy, or tarapiroe (Māori), is a medium-small tern endemic to New Zealand.
Busiest months: March · Most records: New Zealand
Where and when it's recorded
Black-fronted Tern has been recorded at 75 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Kaikoura – offshore – Albatross Encounter pelagicNew Zealand1,709 records
- Ashley River EstuaryNew Zealand648 records
- Ashley Estuary south endNew Zealand624 records
More places
- GlentannerNew Zealand234 records
- Aramoana Mole/Harbour EntranceNew Zealand170 records
- Ashley/Saltwater Crk Est/Raupo BermNew Zealand148 records
- Foveaux StraitNew Zealand119 records
- Taiaroa Head/Harbour EntranceNew Zealand115 records
- Kaikoura – Point Kean Seal ColonyNew Zealand110 records
- Aramoana – Saltmarsh WalkNew Zealand104 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The black-fronted tern (Chlidonias albostriatus), sea martin, ploughboy, or tarapiroe (Māori), is a medium-small tern endemic to New Zealand. Black-fronted terns can be found in coastal habitats from the southern tip of the North Island to the eastern South Island as well as Stewart Island. Their breeding range is restricted to the South Island, where they will form breeding colonies on braided river islands.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Black-fronted Tern?
The Black-fronted Tern weighs around 95 g.
Where does the Black-fronted Tern live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: rivers of eastern South Island (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.
When is the best time to see the Black-fronted Tern?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Black-fronted Tern endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-fronted Tern as Endangered.
What does the Black-fronted Tern eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Black-fronted Tern in?
It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 95 g
- Habitat
- Coast & tidal flats
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Endangered
More measurements
- Wing
- 240 mm
- Tail
- 108 mm
- Bill
- 30 mm
- Tarsus
- 17 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: rivers of eastern South Island (New Zealand)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Gulls, Terns, Skimmers Laridae
- Genus
- Chlidonias
Other birds in the genus Chlidonias
Whiskered TernChlidonias hybrida
Black TernChlidonias niger
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterus
African SkimmerRynchops flavirostris
Indian SkimmerRynchops albicollis
Black SkimmerRynchops niger
Atlantic White TernGygis alba
Little White TernGygis microrhyncha
Brown NoddyAnous stolidus
Lesser NoddyAnous tenuirostris
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Ben Ackerley. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.