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white fronted tern

Sterna striata          Gmelin, 1789
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Sternidae
New Zealand status: Native
Conservation status: Declining
Other names:     tara, kahawai bird, sea-swallow, swallow tail, black-billed tern, whitefronted tern, white fronted tern

The white-fronted tern is the most common tern on the New Zealand coastline, at times occurring in flocks of many hundreds or even thousands of birds. It is mainly a marine species that is seldom found far from the coast.
The name ‘white-fronted’ refers to the ‘frons’ or forehead, where a thin strip of white separates the black cap from the black bill. Most other ‘capped’ terns, including the black-fronted tern, have black caps that reach the bill when in breeding plumage.
The scientific name striata refers to the finely-barred (striated) dorsal plumage of recently fledged white-fronted terns, as the original description and name was based on a juvenile bird painted by William Ellis, surgeon’s second mate on the Discovery, on Captain Cook’s third visit to New Zealand.     Read more at NZ BIRDS ONLINE


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  • Intro
  • NZ NATIVE BIRDS
    • FANTAIL >
      • Fantail
      • Black Morph Fantail
    • Heron
    • Gannet
    • Kaka
    • Kea
    • Kingfisher
    • Little Shag
    • Morepork
    • NZ Dotterel
    • Oyster Catcher
    • Pied Stilt
    • Shining Cuckoo
    • Spoonbills
    • Tui >
      • Tui Photos
      • Baby Tui
      • Feeding Baby Tui
    • Waxeye
    • White Fronted Tern
    • Wood PIgeon
  • BACKYARD BIRDS
    • Barbary Doves
    • Blackbirds
    • Sparrows
    • Ducks
  • BIRDS IN LOCATIONS
    • Aroha Island
    • Miranda Bird Sanctuary
    • Waitangi Treaty Grounds
  • ABOUT/CONTACT