Terns (Sternidae)

Grey-backed Tern (Sterna lunata) - HBW 3, p. 660

French: Sterne à dos gris German: Brillenseeschwalbe Spanish: Charrán Lunado
Other common names: Spectacled Tern

Taxonomy: Sterna lunata Peale, 1848, Tuamotu Islands.
Formerly united with S. fuscata and S. anaethetus in separate genus Haliplana or Onychoprion. Monotypic.

Distribution: Northern Mariana Is E through Wake I and N Marshall Is to Hawaiian Is, and S through Phoenix and Line Is to Fiji, then E to Austral and Tuamotu Is; also Easter I (at least formerly); possibly also Samoa and Society Is. Wanders irregularly W to N Moluccas.