Common Tern
| Common Tern | ||||||||||
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Common Tern ( Thalasseus bergii ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Thalasseus bergii | ||||||||||
| ( Lichtenstein , 1823) |
The Common Tern ( Thalasseus bergii ) is a species of bird in the family of the tern (Sternidae).
features
With a body length of 50 to 54 centimeters, of which seven to ten centimeters are accounted for by the tail skewers, the common tern is significantly larger than the similar sandwich tern . It is noticeably long-winged and even in its splendid dress has a white forehead and a white rein stripe. The black hood is limited to the back of the head and is a bit scruffy. The mostly pale greenish-yellow beak, which is somewhat stronger in its splendid dress, is very long, narrow and has a ridge that is slightly downward. Along with body size, it is the best differentiator. In the Middle East occurring subspecies P. b. velox has a dark gray coat, upper wings and upper tail-coverts. The common call of the common tern is a deep croaking "karrack."
Occurrence
The common tern breeds from southern Africa to the Pacific , as well as on the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf . Exceptions also occur up to Suez and Aqaba .
Danger
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) assesses the common tern with all subspecies on its red list as "not endangered" ( least concern ).
literature
- H. Heinzel, R. Fitter, J. Parslow: Parey's bird book. 5th edition, Collins Publishers, Hamburg, Berlin Parey 1988, ISBN 3-490-22018-8 .
- L. Svensson, PJ Grant, K. Mullarney, D. Zetterström: The new cosmos bird guide - all species of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-440-07720-9 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Thalasseus bergii in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008.