Sterna acuticauda
The Black-bellied Tern (Sterna acuticauda) is a striking medium-sized riverine tern, measuring approximately 32-35 cm (12.5-14 in) in length with a wingspan of about 60-65 cm and weighing around 90-110 g. Its most distinctive field mark, and the source of its common name, is the jet-black belly and underwings it sports during the breeding season, contrasting sharply with its dark grey back and deeply forked white tail. This unique coloration is unparalleled among tern species worldwide. It al...
Primarily inhabiting large lowland rivers, floodplains, and freshwater lakes, favoring wide, slow-moving sections with exposed sandbars for nesting and foraging.
Feeds predominantly on small fish, complemented by a variety of aquatic insects. Forages by aerial plunge-diving or surface-dipping over water.
Black-bellied Terns are diurnal foragers, spending daylight hours actively hunting. They are colonial breeders, nesting in dense groups on exposed sand and shingle islands or banks within rivers. Courtship involves elaborate aerial chases and fish-carrying displays by the male, often culminating ...
The Black-bellied Tern is historically distributed across the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Its breeding range currently includes fragmented populations in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. While largely resident, individuals undertake l...
Endangered
- The Black-bellied Tern is the only tern species in the world that develops an entirely black belly in its breeding plumage, making it instantly recognizable. - Unlike most terns that are associated with coastal or marine environments, this species is a true specialist of large, freshwater river...