Photo: Drew Avery / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Sooty Tern

Onychoprion fuscatus

Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Oceans & Seabirds.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Australia Birds of Canada Birds of the United Kingdom Birds of the United States Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of Western Australia Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador

By family

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Australia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Canada Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United Kingdom Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United States Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of New South Wales Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Northern Territory Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Queensland Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Western Australia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of New Brunswick Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Newfoundland and Labrador

See what's near you right now

The Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) is a member of the Laridae family found in Oceans & Seabirds. Adults weigh 186 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Genus Onychoprion
Species fuscatus

Where it lives

TrO widespread in all tropical and subtropical oceans

Oceans & Seabirds

Quick facts

Weight: 186 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Laridae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Near Threatened

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Sooty 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 Sooty Tern is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) belongs to the Laridae family of the order Charadriiformes. Its range spans Oceans & Seabirds. Its distribution covers TrO widespread in all tropical and subtropical oceans.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 186 g, with a wing length of about 28.1 cm and a tail of around 15.2 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 180,000 km².

Songs & calls

Sooty Tern — Alarm call

Recorded by Craig Robertson Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Sooty Tern?

The Sooty Tern is a large bird that weighs around 186 g.

Where does the Sooty Tern live?

The Sooty Tern is found across Oceans & Seabirds with a range covering TrO widespread in all tropical and subtropical oceans, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Sooty Tern belong to?

The Sooty Tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Sooty Tern eat?

The Sooty Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Sooty Tern migrate?

The Sooty Tern is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Sooty 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 Sooty Tern make?

1 real field recording of the Sooty Tern — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Sooty Tern's range?

The Sooty Tern has a mapped global range of about 180,000 km².