Terns are most closely related to the gulls, They have a worldwide distribution. Many terns breeding in temperate zones are long-distance migrants. They are, in general, medium to large birds (23-53 cm), typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. They have longish bills and webbed feet. They are lighter bodied and more streamlined than gulls, and look elegant in flight with long tails and long narrow wings. They make harsh, single-note calls. Most terns hunt fish by diving, often hovering first. Terns only glide infrequently. Apart from bathing, they only rarely swim, despite having webbed feet. Most terns nest in large, densely packed colonies. Depending on the species and habitat, the nests may consist of unlined scrapes in the ground, or of flimsy collections of sticks on trees or floating vegetation. [abstracted from Wikipedia]



Genus Anous

Noddy, Black Anous minutus     Found: North America, Europe, and, tropical and subtropical coastal locations worldwide.
Photographed by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Dick Daniels - Hawaii
The black noddy has a longer and thinner bill than the common noddy.


Noddy, Common aka Brown Noddy Anous stolidus   Found: North America, Europe, and warm coastal locations worldwide.
Photographed by:  Dick Daniels - Michaelmas Cay, Great Barrier Reef, Australia



Genus Chlidonias

Tern, Whiskered Chlidonias hybridus Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Photgraphed by:  1) Marek Szczepanek 


Tern, White-winged aka White-winged Black Tern  Chlidonias leucopterus   Found: South eastern Europe, Africa, Australia
Photographed by:  1, 2) Frank Vassen - Poland  3) Ziegentom - the valley of Narew, Poland
  4) Paulo Philippidis near Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
1, 2, 3) Breeding  4) Nonbreeding



Genus Gelochelidon - 1 species

Tern, Gull-billed  Gelochelidon nilotica Found:  The Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia
Photographed by:  1) J M Garg - Chhilka, Orissa, India  2) Vincent P Lucas  3) Glen Fergus - Brisbane, Australia
   4) Cláudio Timm - Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 



Genus Hydroprogne - 1 species

Tern, Caspian Hydroprogne caspia  Found: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australasia 
Photographed by:  1, 3, 5, 6) Dick Daniels - Half Moon Bay, California  2, 4) Dick - Half Moon Bay
   7) Dick - North Carolina  8) Len Blumin in Ignacio, Novato, California
8) Juvenile




Genus Onychoprion

Tern, Grey-backed aka Spectacaled Tern   Onychoprion lunata  Found: Hawaii, Australia
Photographed by: 1) Duncan Wright of the US Fish and Wildlife Service  2) Forest and Kim Starr


Tern, Sooty Onychoprion fuscata   Found: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1) Duncan Wright, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Tern Island, French Frigate Shoals Hawaii
  2, 4) Dick Daniels - Michaelmas Cay, Great Barrier Reef, Australia  3, 5) Dick - Michaelmas Cay
1, 2) Adult




Genus Sterna

Tern, Arctic Sterna paradisaea   Found: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia Photographed by: 1) Hillary Chambers  2) Alistair Rae   3) John Haddington  4) AndreasTrepte  5) Benjamin Dobson
5) Chick



Tern, Black-naped  Sterna sumatrana  Found: tropical and subtropical ocean areas of Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed by: Aviceda - Lady Elliot Island, Queensland, Australia


Tern, Common Sterna hirundo   Found: The Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia Photographed by: 1) Len Blumin - Connecticut  2) Barloventomagico - Venezuela  3) Muchaxo - Portugal  4) Mr T in DC  - New York
    5, 8) Dick Daniels - Assateague Island in Virginia  6, 7) Dick - Assateague Island
1) Young juvenile  2) Juvenile  3) Nonbreeding  4 - 8) Breeding   



Tern, Roseate  Sterna dougallii  found: North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1) Kirk Rogers USFWS - Maine  2, 3) Dick Daniels - Jamaica


Tern, White-fronted Sterna striata   Found: New Zealand
Photographed by 1) David Burgess - Omana, North Island, New Zealand  2) Aviceda - Miranda, New Zealand  3, 4, 5) Dick Daniels




Genus Sternula

Tern, Little Sternula albifrons   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1) Oystercatcher  2) JJ Harrison 3) Dick Daniels - Cairns, Australia



Genus Thalasseus
The Crested Terns

Tern, Greater-crested aka Crested Tern  aka Swift Tern  Thalasseus bergii  Found: Asia, Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1, 2) Dick Daniels south of Cape Town, South Africa 
    3) Glen Fergus - Fingal Beach, Australia  4) Noodle Snacks  5) Quarti - Garey Beach, Royal National Park, Sydney
3, 4) Breeding



Tern, Lesser Crested Thalasseus bengalensis   Found: Africa, Australia
Photographed by: 1, 3) Dick Daniels on Michaelmas Cay - the Great Barrier Reef, Australia   2, 4) Dick on Michaelmas Cay Reef, Australia
4) All hail the king!