Saunders's Tern

Sternula saundersi (Hume, 1877)

42 gWeight

Saunders's tern (Sternula saundersi), sometimes known as the black-shafted tern, is a species of bird in the family Laridae.

Most records: Oman, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Seychelles

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Most records: Oman, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Seychelles

Saunders's Tern has been recorded at 39 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 16 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

East KhawrOman79 records
South IslandCocos (Keeling) Islands63 records
Diego GarciaBritish Indian Ocean Territory36 records

More places

Bird IslandSeychelles33 records
San Sebastian Peninsula – Land – please consider using different hotspots for birding on the sandbars and islandsMozambique32 records
South CornicheSaudi Arabia29 records
St Lucia – iMfolozi River mouthSouth Africa23 records
Douda MangrovesDjibouti21 records
Khawr RawriOman19 records
Tidal Flats near Turtle IslandDjibouti14 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Oman Cocos (Keeling) Islands Seychelles British Indian Ocean Territory Djibouti Saudi Arabia Mozambique South Africa

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

Saunders's tern (Sternula saundersi), sometimes known as the black-shafted tern, is a species of bird in the family Laridae.

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

Questions

How big is the Saunders's Tern?

The Saunders's Tern weighs around 42 g.

Where does the Saunders's Tern live?

Its breeding range: Africa, Palearctic: islands of Red Sea and Persian Gulf, off Somalia and Socotra, patchily to coast of Pakistan, northwestern India, and Adam's Bridge islands (between India and Sri Lanka). It is most often recorded in Oman, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Seychelles.

Is the Saunders's Tern endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Saunders's Tern as Least Concern.

What does the Saunders's Tern eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Saunders's Tern in?

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

At a glance

Weight: 42 g
Habitat: Coast & tidal flats
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Feeds in the air
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 168 mm
Tail: 68 mm
Bill: 31 mm
Tarsus: 15 mm

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

Range

Africa, Palearctic: islands of Red Sea and Persian Gulf, off Somalia and Socotra, patchily to coast of Pakistan, northwestern India, and Adam's Bridge islands (between India and Sri Lanka)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2