Fun White-fronted Tern Facts For Kids
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If the impressive variety of birds of the world intrigue you, you will surely find the white-fronted terns of New Zealand fascinating!
The white-fronted tern (Sterna striata) is the most common species of tern in New Zealand. Birds such as the terns, skimmers, and gulls belong to the family Laridae, a family of seabirds with members abundant near rivers, seas, and wetlands.
Besides the coasts of New Zealand, white-fronted terns also occur in small numbers along the southeastern coast of Australia. Populations in Australia comprise a number of small breeding colonies scattered throughout the Furneaux Group of islands in the eastern Bass Strait.
The white-fronted tern is a medium-sized bird with a white neck and underparts and pale gray upperparts. The long, pointed black bill is separated from the black cap by a white band.
The tail is long, white, and forked.
The terns have distinct non-breeding and breeding plumage; for instance, in non-breeding birds, the cap is reduced above the eye to reveal a white forehead. However, in birds sporting the breeding plumage, the cap stretches from the white frontal strip down to the rear of the neck.
In the breeding season, the birds are typically spotted nesting on sandy or rocky beaches, shingle river beds, cliffs, dunes, and even deserted barges.
Unfortunately, the white-fronted tern with a forked tail and black cap has earned the global conservation status of being Near Threatened. These New Zealand birds are vulnerable to various threats, including predatory animals that hunt for their eggs and chicks.
Read on to learn more interesting facts about these seabirds from New Zealand!
You may also like to read about other birds of this family, such as the little tern and gull-billed tern.
White-fronted Tern Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a white-fronted tern?
The white-fronted tern (Sterna striata) is a species of seabird of the family Laridae just like the skimmers and gulls. They are found throughout coastal New Zealand as well as some parts of Australia.
What class of animal does a white-fronted tern belong to?
The white-fronted tern belongs to the class of birds (class Aves).
How many white-fronted terns are there in the world?
As per the latest assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the global population size of the white-fronted tern is between 6,000-25,000.
Where does a white-fronted tern live?
Being a seabird, the white-fronted tern's habitat is restricted to coastlines and areas not far from the coast. Their coastal habitats include sandy or rocky beaches, harbors, bays, lagoons, and estuaries. Beyond the main coastal areas, the birds also frequent offshore rock-stacks, coastal cliffs, shingle islands, and human-made structures such as deserted barges or unused concrete structures.
What is a white-fronted tern's habitat?
The white-fronted tern's range includes the coastlines of New Zealand and Australia. In New Zealand, it is the most widespread tern.
Breeding primarily occurs on the coasts of New Zealand and the nearby islands of Auckland Island, Stewart Island, and the Chatham Islands. Even though the birds are rarely found inland, they have been observed in the Canterbury area, where they move up the large braided rivers to nest and feed.
Breeding populations are also common off northeast Tasmania on the Cape Barren and Flinders Islands and the Bass Strait.
These terns usually spend the winters in New Zealand, but in autumn, the juveniles mostly migrate to southeastern Australia. The wintering terns frequent the coasts of Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales.
Who do White-fronted Terns live with?
During the breeding season, the white-fronted terns occur in flocks of hundreds and thousands of breeding pairs, all nesting in close proximity to one another. The birds also form huge flocks while feeding and might be found foraging along with other birds such as gulls, shearwaters, and gannets.
How long does a White-fronted Tern live?
Adult white-fronted terns can live for more than 18 years. The longest lifespan recorded to date is 26 years.
How do they reproduce?
Mating among the terns of New Zealand is preceded by elaborate courtship rituals involving physical gestures. During the breeding season, about 100-500 breeding pairs may be spotted in a colony, with the pairs nesting pretty close to one another. The breeding nest is not very detailed and is usually a hollow formed in the sand or among rocks.
The egg-laying happens between October to January. During this time, a breeding female lays a clutch consisting of one or two eggs and occasionally three.
The eggs are speckled and range in color from whitish to brownish. The incubation period lasts approximately 24 days, with both the male and female parents taking care of the eggs. The chicks are brooded for about four to six days; they fledge between 29-35 days and continue to be fed by the adults for up to three months.
What is their conservation status?
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, these terns of New Zealand are a Near Threatened species with a decreasing population trend.
White-fronted Tern Fun Facts
What do white-fronted terns look like?
White-fronted terns have distinct breeding and non-breeding plumage. Their body, tail, and underwings are all white with light silvery upper wings.
The white of the overall body is contrasted with a dark beak, feet, eyes, and a black cap. The beak is long and slender with a pointy and dull end.
The jet-black cap covers the head but never joins the beak, leaving a white stripe across the lower part of the forehead. The cap extends over the crown and reaches up to the back of the neck, particularly in birds sporting the breeding plumage.
In non-breeding plumage, the black cap recedes to reveal more of the white forehead. Another feature that distinguishes the breeding and non-breeding plumage are that in the former, the underparts develop a pink flush which may not always be visible.
In addition, the medium-sized tern has a forked tail, clearly visible in flight. The outermost feathers of the tail lengthen during the breeding season, further exaggerating the forked appearance. The legs of the bird are dark and stumpy with a deep burgundy tone.
Immature terns look quite similar to non-breeding individuals, but the latter's cap is incomplete with white mottling. Besides, their back and upper wings have brownish cream hues.
How cute are they?
White-fronted terns cannot be described as conventionally cute. However, they do have a sharp and sophisticated look owing to the contrasting white body and black cap.
How do they communicate?
The white-fronted tern's primary call is a harsh and high-pitched 'keeahk', especially when the birds are defending their nests or descending upon intruders. Other calls may include a duller 'crek', let out during courtship.
How big is a white-fronted tern?
White-fronted terns measure between 15.3-16.5 in (39-42 cm). They are slightly larger than common terns (Sterna hirundo) found in the sub-Arctic regions of North America, Asia, and Europe.
How fast can a white-fronted tern fly?
The exact flight speed of white-fronted terns is not available. However, they are known to have deft flying skills, and the forked tail further helps them in smooth and skillful movements over the water surface.
How much does a white-fronted tern weigh?
White-fronted terns have an average weight of about 4.6 oz (130 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no sex-specific names for the male and female terns.
What would you call a baby White-fronted Tern?
Like all other birds, baby terns would be called chicks or fledglings.
What do they eat?
White-fronted terns are carnivorous birds feeding exclusively on fish and shrimps. Their diet comprises small fish such as pilchards, smelt, and even fish larvae. When feeding at sea, the terns prefer shoaling fish, plunge-diving 23-33 ft (7-10 m) beneath the water surface. They may also feed by contact-dipping.
Are they dangerous?
White-fronted terns are not known to be aggressive or dangerous.
Would they make a good pet?
Given that white-fronted terns are wild birds with a Near Threatened status globally, it is inadvisable to make pets out of them. Besides, the birds have specialized habitats and feeding requirements and are best left in the wild.
Did you know...
Common predators of the terns include stoats, ferrets, mustelids, and cats. Hedgehogs, rats, black-backed gulls, and red-billed gulls exclusively target their eggs and chicks. When in flight, the terns are mostly attacked by skuas.
Different types of Tern
There are over 40 different species of terns distributed across 11 genera. While all of them are seabirds of the family Laridae with more or less similar lifestyles, members of the different species differ from each other in terms of geographical distribution and physical appearance.
Naming White-fronted Tern
White-fronted terns get their name from the white frons or the white forehead that separates the bill from the black cap. The birds are also known by other names such as the swallowtail, southern tern, Kahawai bird, black-billed tern, sea swallow, and tara.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these black-fronted tern facts and Aleutian tern facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable white-fronted terns coloring pages.
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management
A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.
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