Sterna trudeaui
The Snowy-crowned Tern, *Sterna trudeaui*, is a medium-sized and elegantly plumed seabird, typically measuring 33-35 cm (13-14 in) in length with a wingspan of 68-72 cm (27-28 in) and weighing around 120-170g. Its most striking field mark is a contrasting white forecrown and forehead set against a prominent black line extending from the lores through the eye to the black cap and nape. This unique 'masked' appearance, combined with its pristine white underparts and pale grey upperparts, makes ...
This species primarily inhabits freshwater and brackish wetlands, including marshes, lagoons, slow-moving rivers, and coastal estuaries, typically at low elevations.
Their diet consists mainly of small fish, which they catch by plunge-diving, supplemented by aquatic invertebrates.
Snowy-crowned Terns are diurnal, spending their days actively foraging and often roosting communally on sandbars, mudflats, or vegetation. Their primary foraging strategy involves gracefully flying over water and plunge-diving to catch small fish, sometimes hover-diving from a greater height. The...
The Snowy-crowned Tern is endemic to South America, with its primary breeding range concentrated in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and southern Brazil, particularly within the Pampas region and along major river systems. During the non-breeding season, populations from the southern parts of the br...
Least Concern
- The Snowy-crowned Tern is one of the few tern species with a predominantly white forecrown, making it easily identifiable even at a distance. - Its scientific name, *trudeaui*, honors Dr. James Trudeau, an American physician and naturalist who collected the type specimen. - Unlike many terns wi...