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    Sooty tern

      Saved In:

    Remains as one of the most resilient residents of the tropics

    Duncan Wright








      Saved In:


    Sooty tern

    EXEWCRENVUNTLCDDNE

    Remains as one of the most resilient residents of the tropics

    Population 35 Million

    Visually, it is striking and sophisticated, draped in a deep, soot-colored “cape” that covers its back, wings, and the top of its head. This dark plumage contrasts sharply with its bright white belly and face, giving it a crisp, formal appearance. It is a sleek, aerodynamic creature, characterized by long, pointed wings and a deeply forked tail, which allow it to maneuver with incredible precision through ocean winds.

    What makes the sooty tern truly extraordinary—and a bit of a biological rebel—is its complicated relationship with the water. Despite being a seabird, it possesses a peculiar trait: its feathers are not very waterproof. If it were to sit on the ocean surface for too long, its plumage would become waterlogged, making it heavy and potentially causing it to drown. To survive this, the sooty tern has adopted a lifestyle of perpetual flight. Once a young bird leaves its nest and heads out to sea, it may not touch land or rest on the water again for three to ten years until it is finally ready to start a family of its own. It lives an almost entirely aerial existence, eating, drinking, and even sleeping while remaining airborne.

    Because it spends so much time in the sky, the sooty tern has developed a fascinating way to rest without crashing. It can engage in a type of “power napping,” resting one half of its brain at a time while the other half stays alert to keep the bird flying and navigating. This incredible ability allows it to remain active around the clock, earning it the nickname “Wideawake” from early sailors. When they finally do return to land to raise their young, they gather in massive, bustling colonies that can number in the hundreds of thousands.

    Distribution

    Country
    Population est.
    Status
    Year
    Comments
    American Samoa
    2020
    Breeding
    Angola
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Anguilla
    2020
    Breeding
    Antigua & Barbuda
    2020
    Argentina
    2020
    Aruba
    2020
    Australia
    2020
    Breeding
    Bahamas
    2020
    Bahrain
    2020
    Passage
    Bangladesh
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Barbados
    2020
    Belgium
    2020
    Vagrant
    Belize
    2020
    Benin
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Bermuda
    2020
    Bonaire Sint Eustatius And Saba
    2020
    Brazil
    2020
    British Indian T.
    2020
    Breeding
    British Virgin Is.
    2020
    Breeding
    Cambodia
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Cameroon
    2020
    Canada
    2020
    Cape Verde
    2020
    Vagrant
    Cayman Islands
    2020
    Chile
    2020
    China
    2020
    Christmas Island
    2020
    Vagrant
    Cocos Is. (Keeling)
    2020
    Breeding
    Colombia
    2020
    Comoros
    2020
    Congo-Brazzaville
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Cook Islands
    2020
    Breeding
    Costa Rica
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Cuba
    2020
    Curaçao
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Côte D’ivoire
    2020
    Vagrant
    DR Congo (Kinshasa)
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Denmark
    2020
    Vagrant
    Djibouti
    2020
    Dominica
    2020
    Dominican Republic
    2020
    East Timor
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Ecuador
    2020
    El Salvador
    2020
    Equatorial Guinea
    2020
    Breeding
    Eritrea
    2020
    Vagrant
    Eswatini
    2020
    Vagrant
    Fiji
    2020
    France
    2020
    Vagrant
    French Guiana
    2020
    French Polynesia
    2020
    Breeding
    French Southern T.
    2020
    Breeding
    Gabon
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Gambia
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Germany
    2020
    Vagrant
    Ghana
    2020
    Vagrant
    Grenada
    2020
    Guadeloupe
    2020
    Breeding
    Guam
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Guatemala
    2020
    Guinea-Bissau
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Guinea
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Guyana
    2020
    Haiti
    2020
    Honduras
    2020
    Hong Kong
    2020
    Vagrant
    Iceland
    2020
    Vagrant
    India
    2020
    Indonesia
    2020
    Iran
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Iraq
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Israel
    2020
    Vagrant
    Italy
    2020
    Vagrant
    Jamaica
    2020
    Breeding
    Japan
    2020
    Kenya
    2020
    Kiribati
    2020
    Breeding
    Korea
    2020
    Kuwait
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Liberia
    2020
    Madagascar
    2020
    Malawi
    2020
    Vagrant
    Malaysia
    2020
    Maldives
    2020
    Breeding
    Marshall Islands
    2020
    Breeding
    Martinique
    2020
    Mauritania
    2020
    Mauritius
    2020
    Breeding
    Mayotte
    2020
    Mexico
    2020
    Micronesia
    2020
    Montserrat
    2020
    Mozambique
    2020
    Myanmar
    2020
    Namibia
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Nauru
    2020
    Breeding
    New Caledonia
    2020
    New Zealand
    2020
    Breeding
    Nicaragua
    2020
    Nigeria
    2020
    Niue
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Norfolk Island
    2020
    Breeding
    Nort. Mariana Is.
    2020
    Breeding
    Norway
    2020
    Vagrant
    Oman
    2020
    Breeding
    Pakistan
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Palau
    2020
    Breeding
    Panama
    2020
    Papua New Guinea
    2020
    Peru
    2020
    Philippines
    2020
    Pitcairn
    2020
    Breeding
    Portugal
    2020
    Vagrant
    Puerto Rico
    2020
    Réunion
    2020
    Breeding
    Saint Barthélemy
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Saint Helena
    2020
    Breeding
    Saint Lucia
    2020
    Saint Martin
    2020
    Non-Breeding: French Part
    Saint Vincent
    2020
    Samoa
    2020
    Breeding
    Saudi Arabia
    2020
    Passage
    Senegal
    2020
    Seychelles
    2020
    Breeding
    Sierra Leone
    2020
    Vagrant
    Sint Maarten
    2020
    Non-Breeding: Dutch Part
    Solomon Islands
    2020
    Somalia
    2020
    South Africa
    2020
    Spain
    2020
    Vagrant
    Sri Lanka
    2020
    St. Kitts & Nevis
    2020
    Sudan
    2020
    Non-Breeding
    Suriname
    2020
    Sweden
    2020
    Vagrant
    São Tomé & Príncipe
    2020
    Breeding
    Taiwan
    2020
    Tanzania
    2020
    Breeding
    Thailand
    2020
    Togo
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Tokelau
    2020
    Breeding
    Tonga
    2020
    Breeding
    Trinidad & Tobago
    2020
    Tunisia
    2020
    Vagrant
    Turks & Caicos
    2020
    Breeding
    Tuvalu
    2020
    Breeding
    UAE
    2020
    Passage
    US Minor Is.
    2020
    Breeding
    US Virgin Islands
    2020
    Breeding
    United Kingdom
    2020
    Vagrant
    United States
    2020
    Breeding
    Vanuatu
    2020
    Breeding
    Venezuela
    2020
    Vietnam
    2020
    Wallis & Futuna
    2020
    Seasonality Uncertain
    Yemen
    2020
    Passage
    Zimbabwe
    2020
    Vagrant

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    Get to know me

    Terrestrial / Aquatic

    Altricial / Precocial

    Polygamous / Monogamous

    Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic

    Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal

    Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Flock

    Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore

    Migratory: Yes / No

    Domesticated: Yes / No

    Dangerous: Yes / No

    EXEWCRENVUNTLCDDNE
    Least Concern(IUCN)
    World Population 35 Million
    Honorary Patron: BioDB
    Become a Patron

    Threats

    Habitat destruction / Climate change / Freshwater pollution / Marine pollution / Deforestation / Farming / Fishing practices / Poaching & wildlife trade / Invasive species / Parasites & diseases / Noise pollution / Light pollution

    My ID

    Scientific name: Onychoprion fuscatus Number of subspecies: 6 Name of subspecies:

    O. f. crissalis
    O. f. fuscatus
    O. f. luctuosus
    O. f. nubilosus
    O. f. oahuensis
    O. f. serratus

    Physical traits

    Length: 36 – 45 cm (14 – 18 in) Weight: 150 – 240 g (5 – 8 oz) Lifespan: 32 years Wingspan: 82 – 94 cm (33 – 37 in) Incubation: 28 – 30 days Eggs: 1 – 2 eggs
    Habitats: Coastal Marine
    Regions: Africa Asia Europe North America Oceania South America
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