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Grey Ternlet
(Procelsterna albivitta [cerulea])
: "Grey Noddy"
Size: 25-30 cm; wing span 45-60 cm
Weight: 63-93 g
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Similar species |
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Physical description |
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Click here for a physical description
Grey Ternlets are medium-sized terns. Their plumage comes in two different
morphologies,
light and dark.
Light
morphology Grey Ternlets have an all-white head, neck
and front (chest, belly, vent, tail). The wings are light-grey,
with conspicuous dark-grey tips.
The dark morphology is light-grey wherever the light morphology
is white and the wings are a darker shade of grey, with black
wing tips.
Both morphologies have black eyes, a black bill and black legs
and feet.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Grey
Ternlet at Wikipedia .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Gery Ternlet is available
HERE
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There are three races of Grey Ternlets, which populate the
subtropical and warm temperate parts of the southern Pacific
Ocean.
Only Grey Ternlets, race
"albivitta", are found around Australia.
They reach Australian coastal waters and some
offshore islands
from the East, in an area spanning from about Fraser Island, QLD,
to northern Tasmania. They hardly ever reach the continental
shore.
Grey Ternlets are usually found on the open sea and islands.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "albivitta"
B. Hensen reports seeing Grey Ternlets, race "albivitta", at The
Gulch, Lord Howe Island, in November 2014.
All sighting and photographic information presented
on this page has kindly been contributed by B. Hensen.
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Photos |
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Race "albivitta"
White morphology
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ADULT |
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Lateral view of a Gery Ternlet resting on a rock ledge
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[The Gulch, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]
Grey Ternlet in flight, with a clear view onto its underwing
pattern (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[The Gulch, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors.
The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.