Black-naped Tern

Sterna sumatrana Raffles, 1822

≈33 cmLength106 gWeight

It is an oceanic tern with a black band running from the eyes around the back of the head to the nape, a white body and pale silver-gray back and wings.

Busiest months: May · Most records: China, Singapore, Thailand

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Black band runs from eye around back of head to nape
Back and wings pale silver-gray; rest white
Tail white and deeply forked
Bill and legs black

Male, female and young

Chicks are mottled brown.

Voice

Repeated short, high-pitched, sharp notes: “chit”, “chip”, “chrrut” and “tsip”.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: China, Singapore, Thailand

Black-naped Tern has been recorded at 273 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 33 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Lanyang River Estuary IBA – North Shore Observation SpotTaiwan (China)338 records
Po ToiHong Kong (China)321 records
Man Nai IslandThailand321 records

More places

Lanyang River Estuary IBATaiwan (China)293 records
Pulau UbinSingapore252 records
Pulau Ubin: Chek Jawa WetlandsSingapore172 records
Hualien River Estuary IBATaiwan (China)166 records
Singapore StraitsSingapore143 records
Diego GarciaBritish Indian Ocean Territory100 records
Penghu – Jibei IslandTaiwan (China)82 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China Singapore Thailand Indonesia Malaysia British Indian Ocean Territory Palau Maldives

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-naped tern (Sterna sumatrana) is an oceanic tern mostly found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean. They are rarely found inland. It was described from the islands around Sumatra.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-naped Tern?

The Black-naped Tern is about ≈33 cm long and weighs around 106 g.

Where does the Black-naped Tern live?

Its breeding range: Africa, Oriental, Australasia: islands off tropical Indian and Pacific oceans from Seychelles to Cook Islands (eastern Polynesia). It is most often recorded in China, Singapore and Thailand.

When is the best time to see the Black-naped Tern?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-naped Tern endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-naped Tern as Least Concern.

What does the Black-naped Tern eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Black-naped Tern in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: ≈33 cm
Weight: 106 g
Habitat: Ocean
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Feeds in the air
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 216 mm
Tail: 120 mm
Bill: 39 mm
Tarsus: 18 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa, Oriental, Australasia: islands off tropical Indian and Pacific oceans from Seychelles to Cook Islands (eastern Polynesia)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 1

Sterna sumatrana sumatrana tropical e Indian and w Pacific Ocean islands: Andaman Is., Thailand, Vietnam, Malay Pen., Ryukyu Is. (=Nansei Shoto, s Japan), islands off e China coast, Taiwan (China), Philippines, Indonesian Arch., New Guinea satellites, n Australia, Melanesia, s Micronesia, Tuvalu (=Ellice Is.), Fiji, Tonga, Tokelau and Samoa (w, c Polynesia), and n Cook Is. (e Polynesia)