# Black Tern (*Chlidonias niger*) The Black Tern is a small, graceful bird that loves to fly over water. It has a black cap on its head and white underparts, making it look very stylish while hunting for fish. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Black Tern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%C4%8Cor%C3%ADk_%C4%8Dierny_%28Chlidonias_niger%29_a_%284644831482%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Andrej Chudý from Slovakia, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C4%8Cor%C3%ADk_%C4%8Dierny_%28Chlidonias_niger%29_a_%284644831482%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Black Tern is a medium-sized waterbird, distinct for its slate-grey back and striking jet-black head and underparts during breeding. Its pointed wings and slightly forked tail give it an elegant, agile appearance in flight. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Laridae - **Genus:** Chlidonias ## Interesting facts - Black Tern chicks can swim and hide from danger almost immediately after hatching! - Black Terns perform spectacular courtship dances, flying together in graceful, acrobatic loops! - They fly thousands of miles to warmer wintering areas, crossing continents! - Unlike many terns, they prefer dipping for food rather than plunge-diving headfirst! ## Special abilities - **Nimble Hunter:** Black Terns can swiftly change direction mid-air to catch insects because of their pointed wings and streamlined body. - **Surface Skimmer:** Black Terns can pick small fish and insects from the water's surface without landing, using their delicate bills. - **Floating Nest Builder:** Black Terns can create nests on floating wetland vegetation because their lightweight bodies allow them to balance on unstable platforms. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 22-26 cm - **Wingspan:** 50-56 cm - **Weight:** 0.06-0.075 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-17 years - **Speed:** 35 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-4 - **Incubation:** 20-22 days - **Migration Distance:** 8000 km ## Diet & Feeding These agile birds mostly catch insects in the air and small fish from the water's surface. - **Primary Foods:** dragonflies, mosquitoes, mayflies, small fish, aquatic insects - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — Known to prey on adult Black Terns during migration. - **Eaten by:** [Ring-billed Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ring-billed-gull) (*Larus delawarensis*) — Opportunistic predator of eggs and chicks in nesting colonies. - **Depends on:** Common Cattail (*Typha latifolia*) — Provides crucial floating vegetation for nesting sites in wetlands. - **Hunts:** [Common Green Darner](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-green-darner) (*Anax junius*) — A primary food source, caught in mid-air above wetlands. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a bird's nest, be careful not to disturb it. It's important to let birds take care of their babies. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Black Tern? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Black Tern? 22-26 cm ### What is Black Tern's wingspan? 50-56 cm ### How much does Black Tern weigh? 0.06-0.075 kg ### How long does Black Tern live? 10-17 years ### How fast can Black Tern move? 35 km/h ### What does Black Tern eat? These agile birds mostly catch insects in the air and small fish from the water's surface. ### Where is Black Tern usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Sod House Ranch](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sod-house-ranch) — Oregon, US · Historic Site - [Fort Supply](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-supply) — Oklahoma, US · Historic Site - [Seneca River Crossing Canals Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seneca-river-crossing-canals-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District - [Naturpark Dümmer](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/dummer-nature-park) — Niedersachsen; Nordrhein-Westfalen, DE · Park - [Lower Oder Valley National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lower-oder-valley-national-park) — Brandenburg, DE · Park - [Naturpark Flusslandschaft Peenetal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/peene-valley-nature-park) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park [View all places to see Black Tern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-tern) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Black Tern: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-tern)