Chlidonias leucopterus
The White-winged Tern, *Chlidonias leucopterus*, is an exceptionally striking small tern of the family Laridae, renowned for its dramatic seasonal plumage transformation. Breeding adults, measuring 20-24 cm (8-9.5 inches) with a wingspan of 50-66 cm (20-26 inches) and weighing 55-75 grams (2-2.6 oz), exhibit a deep black head and body that contrasts sharply with pure white underwings and tail, and pale grey upperwings accented by a distinct white leading edge. This elegant combination is a de...
Primarily inhabiting freshwater wetlands, including shallow lakes, marshes, floodplains, and rice paddies, the White-winged Tern favors low-lying areas with abundant emergent vegetation for nesting and foraging.
The diet of the White-winged Tern consists predominantly of adult and larval aquatic insects caught on the wing, supplemented by small fish, tadpoles, and other amphibians obtained by dipping from the surface or shallow dives.
White-winged Terns are highly social, typically foraging in loose flocks and nesting in dense colonies, sometimes alongside other marsh tern species. Their daily activity is diurnal, often roosting communally on floating vegetation, mudflats, or sandbars. They employ an agile aerial foraging stra...
The breeding range of the White-winged Tern spans a vast area across temperate Eurasia, from central and eastern Europe eastward through central Asia, Siberia, and into Mongolia and northeastern China. Smaller, often isolated breeding populations can also be found in parts of southeastern Europe ...
Least Concern
- Known for one of the most dramatic plumage transformations among terns, from its striking black-and-white breeding attire to its more subdued non-breeding grey and white. - This species is a true global traveler, breeding across temperate Eurasia and wintering as far south as Africa, Australia,...