Terns (Sternidae)
Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) - HBW 3, p. 647
French: Sterne caugek
German: Brandseeschwalbe
Spanish: Charrán Patinegro
Other common names: Yellow-nibbed Tern; Cabot's Tern (acuflavidus); Cayenne Tern (eurygnatha)
Taxonomy: Sterna Sandvicensis Latham, 1787, Sandwich, Kent, England.
Genus often merged with Sterna. Forms superspecies with T. elegans and T. bengalensis, and perhaps also T. bernsteini, and it has been suggested that all may even be conspecific. Form eurygnatha, Cayenne Tern, generally considered separate species until work in S Caribbean showed it to be race or possibly morph of T. sandvicensis, and that all but northernmost New World populations have at least small percentage of “Cayenne”-type birds. Races acuflavidus and eurygnatha interbreed freely in S Caribbean, and mixed pairs occur also in P.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Sterna Sandvicensis Latham, 1787, Sandwich, Kent, England.
Genus often merged with Sterna. Forms superspecies with T. elegans and T. bengalensis, and perhaps also T. bernsteini, and it has been suggested that all may even be conspecific. Form eurygnatha, Cayenne Tern, generally considered separate species until work in S Caribbean showed it to be race or possibly morph of T. sandvicensis, and that all but northernmost New World populations have at least small percentage of “Cayenne”-type birds. Races acuflavidus and eurygnatha interbreed freely in S Caribbean, and mixed pairs occur also in Patagonia and Puerto Rico; possibility of assortative mating deserves further study. In Curaçao typical acuflavidus make up 20% of population, while in French Guiana they comprise less than 1%. Three subspecies currently recognized.
Genus often merged with Sterna. Forms superspecies with T. elegans and T. bengalensis, and perhaps also T. bernsteini, and it has been suggested that all may even be conspecific. Form eurygnatha, Cayenne Tern, generally considered separate species until work in S Caribbean showed it to be race or possibly morph of T. sandvicensis, and that all but northernmost New World populations have at least small percentage of “Cayenne”-type birds. Races acuflavidus and eurygnatha interbreed freely in S Caribbean, and mixed pairs occur also in Patagonia and Puerto Rico; possibility of assortative mating deserves further study. In Curaçao typical acuflavidus make up 20% of population, while in French Guiana they comprise less than 1%. Three subspecies currently recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- sandvicensis (Latham, 1787) - Europe E to Caspian Sea; winters from Caspian, Black and Mediterranean Seas to coasts of W & S Africa, and from S Red Sea to NW India and Sri Lanka.
- acuflavidus (Cabot, 1848) - E North America (Virginia locally to Campeche Bank and Belize), and through Antilles to S Caribbean; winters from Caribbean S to S Peru and Uruguay.
- eurygnatha (Saunders, 1876) - highly local breeder in Caribbean, off Venezuela and French Guiana (Cayenne), and from E Brazil to S Argentina (Buenos Aires, and Patagonia from Chubut to Santa Cruz).
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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A group of birds at a colonies. Locality Texel, North Holland Province, Netherlands
Yoel Jimenez 19 May 2012 50 weeks ago 1 min 10 sec 4.7 -
A juvenile begging for food Locality Presqu'île de Quiberon, Morbihan, Bretagne, France (ssp sandvicensis)
Alain Fossé 2 August 2010 2 years ago 24 sec 4.6 -
A pair copulating in slow motion Locality Ebro Delta, Tarragona Province, Catalonia, Spain (ssp sandvicensis)
Pedro Rubio 1994 10 years ago 24 sec 4.6 -
A bird. Around 100 individuals Locality Rocha Lagoon, Rocha Department, Uruguay (ssp eurygnatha)
Martin Manassero 24 January 2013 15 weeks ago 38 sec 4.5 -
Two males attempting to court a female. One of them wins and manages to copulate with the female Locality Ebro Delta, Tarragona Province, Catalonia, Spain (ssp sandvicensis)
Pedro Rubio 1994 10 years ago 27 sec 4.5 -
Several adults in non-breeding plumage, resting on the sand with Laughing Gulls and Ruffs Locality Rio Lagartos, Yucatán State, Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico (Southern) (ssp acuflavidus)
Josep del Hoyo 29 September 2006 5 years ago 35 sec 4.2
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A bird returning from the sea to feed his chick
Locality Camperduin, North Holland Province, Netherlands (ssp sandvicensis)
Mattias Hofstede 20 July 2011 29 weeks ago 4.6 -
Male and Female breeding
Locality Texel, North Holland Province, Netherlands
Paul Cools 12 May 2012 27 weeks ago 4.4 -
In flight
Locality Flamingos Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, La Guajira Department, Colombia
Guy Poisson 30 November 2012 39 weeks ago 4.4 -
Bird perched on an artisan fishing boat in Pucusana port
Locality Pucusana, Lima Department, Peru
Nature Expeditions Peru 1 January 2009 3 years ago 4.3 -
Wintering bird in flight in the Golfo Dulce area near Golfito.
Locality Golfito, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
Norbert Sauberer 5 February 2007 3 years ago 4.2 -
Lateral view of flying adult in breeding plumage
Locality Antigua Island, Antigua and Barbuda (ssp eurygnatha)
Mikko Pyhälä 7 June 2009 3 years ago 4.2
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Calls from a single individual flying & scanning the water for prey Locality Po River Delta, Veneto Region, Italy
(ssp sandvicensis)
Joe Angseesing 31 March 2009 3 years ago 3.5 -
Two birds passing high overhead, then disappearing north toward the open sea Locality Baltrum Island, Lower Saxony, Germany
hoover 7 April 2010 3 years ago 2.5 -
Calls made when flying round a harbour Locality Agadir Province, Souss-Massa-Draâ Region, Morocco
(ssp sandvicensis)
Joe Angseesing 18 March 2008 3 years ago 2
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