Whitebeard tern

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Whitebeard tern
Whitebeard tern (Chlidonias hybrida) with chicks

Whitebeard tern ( Chlidonias hybrida ) with chicks

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Plover-like (Charadriiformes)
Family : Terns (Sternidae)
Genre : Common Terns ( Chlidonias )
Type : Whitebeard tern
Scientific name
Chlidonias hybrida
( Pallas , 1811)

The Whiskered Tern ( Chlidonias hybrida ) is a species of bird from the family of the terns (Sternidae).

description

The whitebeard tern is between 24 and 28 centimeters long and has a wingspan of up to 63 centimeters. Compared to other pond terns, they are larger, longer-legged and have a stiffer flight pattern. In the splendid dress , the belly and chest are dark gray and the beak and legs are red. In the plain dress (autumn or winter) the rear parting is thinly dashed in black and a black spot appears behind the eye. The rump and tail turn light gray in youthful dress. The back then has a strong yellow-brown pattern. The first winter dress looks similar to the plain dress, but the wings now have dark arm wings and the tail resembles that of the youth dress.

First winter dress

Way of life

The White Bearded Tern is a migratory bird. She calls out loud and wooden krrrk and two-syllable ki-ik . The sound is reminiscent of that of the Corn Crake . It picks its prey, mainly insects and, more rarely, fish from the surface of the water in flight. The tern often breeds in colonies on muddy lakes, rivers, and swamps with the black tern . The nest consists of plant parts and is built in the bank vegetation or on islands. The female lays three (rarely two) beige, green-shaded and dark-spotted eggs in May. The clutch is incubated by both sexes for 18 days. The young birds fledge at the end of July, but still get food from their parents.

Habitat and Distribution

Distribution of the whiskered tern:
  • Breeding areas
  • Year-round occurrence
  • Wintering areas
  • Forays (uncertain seasonality)

    • The whiskered tern lives in abundantly overgrown waters in Europe and the Middle East . It occurs in the north from the Aral Sea over the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea , in the south it is found from Pakistan to the Arabian Peninsula . In Europe they are found in Belarus , the southern part of Ukraine , Albania , Turkey , northern Greece, Romania , Bulgaria , southern Spain, southern and western France and in the Po Valley in Italy . This species migrates to Africa in July and returns to its breeding grounds in late April or early May.

    Protection status

    The whiskered tern is specially protected according to Appendix I of the EU bird protection directive (RL 79/409 / EEC).

    swell

    Individual evidence

    1. ^ According to ITIS , Chlidonias hybrid a is the currently valid name; Chlidonias hybrid us is an outdated synonym.

    literature

    • Svensson, Grant, Mullarney, Zetterström: Birds of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co., Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-08401-9 .
    • Karel Šťastný: Birds Handbook and Guide to the Birds of Europe. Bechtermünz Verlag im Weltbild Verlag GmbH, Augsburg 1997, ISBN 3-86047-737-4 .
    • Barthel & Dougalis: What is flying there? Franckh-Kosmos Verlags GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 978-3440099773 .

    Web links

    Commons : Whitebeard Tern ( Chlidonias hybrida )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files