Sooty Tern Photo Gallery
Breeding adult
A medium-sized, fork-tailed tern with white underparts, black upperparts, and a white forehead. In flight, white underwing linings contrast with black flight feathers.
© Daniel Irons / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 13, 2020Breeding adult
Breeds on remote atolls and cays in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
© Hannes Leonard / Macaulay LibraryAcklins and Crooked Islands, May 22, 2019Adult
A medium-sized tern that breeds on remote tropical and subtropical islands in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Adult is white below and black above, with a white forehead.
© manuel grosselet / Macaulay LibraryClipperton Island, December 03, 2025Not all videos have soundJuvenile
Juvenile is blackish overall, with whitish spots on the wings and back.
© Steven McBride / Macaulay LibraryNew South Wales, February 07, 2020Breeding adult
White forehead ends just above the front of the eye, helping to distinguish this species from the similar Bridled Tern.
© Chris Wiley / Macaulay LibraryQueensland, November 14, 2014Adult
In flight, note strongly forked tail and black flight feathers contrasting with white underwing linings.
© Brett Hartl / Macaulay LibraryKiribati, September 11, 2025Not all videos have soundBreeding adult
In flight, note forked black tail with white outermost tail feathers.
© Adam Bowley / Macaulay LibraryTobago, June 19, 2018Juvenile
Juvenile is blackish overall, with whitish spots on the wings and back.
© Oscar Campbell / Macaulay LibraryLa Digue, October 22, 2012Breeding colony
Nests in large colonies that may include up to a million pairs.
© Josep del Hoyo / Macaulay LibraryMarquesas Islands, September 26, 2013Not all videos have soundBreeding adult
A striking tern with boldly contrasting black upperparts and white underparts, a white forehead, black legs, and a black bill.
© stephanie pluscht / Macaulay LibraryAlabama, June 09, 2020Juvenile
Young birds remain at sea for several years—without coming to land—until their first breeding attempts at 4–10 years of age.
© Roman Lo / Macaulay LibraryHong Kong, June 07, 2019Habitat
Usually breeds in large colonies with thousands of (and occasionally up to a million) pairs. Lays a single egg directly on bare sand or rock, in either a shallow scrape or no nest at all.
© Henry Burton / Macaulay LibraryQueensland, September 15, 2015Search species and articles
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