Charadriiformes / Laridae / Chlidonias
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus · 白翅浮鸥
Introduction
A small tern species in the family Laridae, found in or near fresh water bodies across Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It forages by surface-picking rather than diving and is listed under the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
Description
Adults in summer have short red legs and a short black bill (22–25 mm), a black neck and belly, very dark grey back, white rump, and light grey tail. Wings are mainly white with grayish inner wings and brown-tipped coverts. The face is tinged yellowish. In non-breeding plumage, black is replaced by white or pale grey, with a black head featuring a white forehead and dark triangular patch forward of the eye. A broad white collar and pale gray rump isolate the mantle as a dark brown 'saddle'. Juveniles show mixed characters with pale gray rumps.
Identification
Distinguished by mainly white wings and a short, stubby black bill decidedly shorter than the head. Non-breeding adults show a clear white collar and rump isolating a dark brown mantle saddle, with a dark triangular patch before the eye. Hybrids with black tern may show a dark mantle combined with dark patches on the breast-side.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds in freshwater marshes from southeast Europe to Central Asia and the Russian Far East. Migrates to Africa, southern Asia, and Australia in winter. Recorded as a scarce vagrant in North America (mainly Atlantic coast, occasionally Pacific coast and Great Lakes) and South America (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia).
Behavior & Ecology
Does not dive for fish; flies slowly over water to surface-pick items and catch insects in flight. Diet consists mainly of insects and small fish. Wing-beats are shallow and leisurely. Nests on floating vegetation or ground close to water, laying 2–4 eggs in nests built of small reed stems and other vegetation.
Conservation
The species is covered by the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA).
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Chlidonias
Distribution
breeds inland south-central and eastern Europe eastward to north-central Siberia and northeastern China; winters Africa eastward to Philippines, Australia (except western deserts and Tasmania), and New Zealand
Vocalizations
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
