Photo: Aviceda / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-naped Tern
Sterna sumatrana
Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Africa.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana) is a member of the Laridae family found in Africa, Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Adults weigh 106 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
- Genus Sterna
- Species sumatrana
Where it lives
Islands off tropical Indian and Pacific oceans from Seychelles to Cook Is. (eastern Polynesia)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 106 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Laridae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-naped Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Black-naped Tern is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana) belongs to the Laridae family of the order Charadriiformes. It occurs naturally across Africa, Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia. Its distribution covers AF, OR, AU islands off tropical Indian and Pacific oceans from Seychelles to Cook Is. (e Polynesia).
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 106 g, with a wing length of about 21.6 cm and a tail of around 12.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 10.1 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-naped Tern?
The Black-naped Tern is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 106 g.
Where does the Black-naped Tern live?
The Black-naped Tern is found across Africa, Australia & Oceania and South & Southeast Asia with a range covering AF, OR, AU islands off tropical Indian and Pacific oceans from Seychelles to Cook Is. (e Polynesia), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Black-naped Tern belong to?
The Black-naped Tern (Sterna sumatrana) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Black-naped Tern eat?
The Black-naped Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Black-naped Tern migrate?
The Black-naped Tern is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Black-naped Tern endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Black-naped Tern make?
1 real field recording of the Black-naped Tern — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-naped Tern's range?
The Black-naped Tern has a mapped global range of about 10.1 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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