A small, dark tern. Flight is buoyant with deep slashing wingstrokes. Alternate Adult has blackish body, gray wings reaching well beyond short tail, white vent, short black legs, and sharp, slender bill. Basic Adult is mostly white (may be mistaken for a small gull), retaining gray wings and back, with a black patch from nape to behind eye. Sexes are similar. Juvenile is like Basic Adult with patterned scalloping on wings and back, and orange legs. Wing tips are more rounded, creating a more gull-like shape.

Length: 25 (cm) Wingspan: 61 (cm)

Voice:

Single, scraping krik calls on a variety of pitches.

Habitat:

Marshes, wetlands, ponds. Nest is a platform of reeds near water's edge.

Behavior:

Often perches on ground or fence posts when not flying over marsh. When feeding nestlings, adults often feed quite a distance from the nest and may be observed flying a kilometer or more carrying small fish. Like blackbirds, swarms of adults join forces to mob predators around their breeding colonies.

Feeding:

Swoops down to water's surface to pick off small prey items; also catches insects in the air. Eats fish on wintering grounds.