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10

Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) Alternate name(s): "Long-legged Tern" Size: 33-42 cm; wing span 75-90 cm Weight: Race "macrotarsa": 220-290 g; race "affinis": 150-205 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Gull-billed Terns are medium-sized terns. During the breeding season they have a black cap, white front (throat, neck, chest, belly and vent) and grey wings. The black eyes are surrounded by the black cap, while the frons (base of the bill) is also black. The stout bill is black, the short legs and feet are also black. In eclipse the cap becomes mostly white, with grey patches remaining behind the eyes and some mottled black-and-white remaining at the back of the head. Juveniles are mottled grey, with a mottled cap and black eye patches. Twitcher's tip Compared to other, similar terns, the Gull-billed Tern has the most massive black bill (hence its name).

Taxonomy, classification See Gull-billed Tern at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species 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 Gull-billed Tern is available HERE . Gull-billed Terns are a global species, of which there are 6 extant races. All races are dispersive after the end of the breeding season, and those breeding in the northern hemisphere are the most strongly migratory races. Nominate race "nilotica" have a very extended breeding range, from Europe and North Africa in the West, through the Middle East and southern-central Asia to western China and Thailand in the East. The breeding range of the Asian race "affinis" extends from parts of Indonesia (Borneo, Sulawesi, Sumatra) through the Philippines and south-eastern Asia, South and East China up to Japan in the East. Race "macrotarsa" breeds only in Australia. The three other races, "aranea", "vanrossemi" and "gronvoldi" are found in various parts of the Americas (for details see, e.g., Wikipedia). The northern races tend to spend the winters farther South, e.g. in southern America, in Africa, south-eastern Asia and even New Zealand. Gull-billed Terns, race "macrotarsa" breed only in Australia. They are most common along the coastline, in particular in QLD and along the Great Barrier Reef, but also inland, e.g. in the Murray-Darling Basin and in the Lake Eyre Basin. Apart from these locations their range is patchy; some may be found in the central NT and in western WA. After substantial inland rainfall they can disperse into all areas of the Australian continent, including the continent's major deserts. They are rare visitors to the Bass Strait and Tasmania as well. Occasionally, migratory birds of the Asian race "affinis" can be found primarily along the North coast of the Australian continent. Gull-billed Terns can be found above coastal waters, but also in tidal flats and inland, in the shallows of freshwater lakes, including ephemeral lakes and ephemeral wetlands.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "macrotarsa" A Gull-billed Tern, race "macrotarsa", was first spotted by us at Dangars Lagoon near Uralla, NSW, in November 2006. Gull-billed Terns, race "macrotarsa", were also spotted by us in the wetlands of Capricorn Resort, Yeppoon, in July 2009. Special access to the wetlands kindly granted by the owners of Capricorn Resort is most gratefully acknowledged. Subsequently, a small number of birds was spotted by us at Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake about 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW, in April 2011 and again in April 2012 and December 2012. In June 2011 Gull-billed Terns, race "macrotarsa", were also seen in a saltmarsh in the estuary of the Manning River near Old Bar, NSW. Several birds were also seen by us on farm irrigation dams about 10 km North-West of Moree, NSW, in April 2012. The contributions to these observations by C. Hayne and A. Lines are most gratefully acknowledged. C. Hayne reports that Gull-billed Terns, race "macrotarsa", are the most common tern in the Moree area. They are seen all year round above farm irrigation dams and all types of natural wetlands. Sometimes they are seen together with Whiskered Terns and Caspian Terns. Gull-billed Terns, race "macrotarsa", were also spotted by us at Lake Altiboulka, in far western NSW, about 95 km east of Tibooburra, in September 2012. A Gull-billed Tern, race "macrotarsa", was first spotted by us at Narrabri Lake in August 2013. Gull-billed Terns, race "macrotarsa", in non-breeding plumage were next seen at Barambah Dam, QLD, in June 2017. M. Eaton reports spotting Gull-billed Terns, race "macrotarsa", in non-breeding plumage at South West Rocks, NSW, in July 2017, and at Old Bar, NSW, in December 2019. They were also found at Tannum Sands, Gladstone, QLD, in June 2021. Another was located at Bribie Island, QLD, in August 2021. In October 2020, a small flock of 10 Gull-billed Terns, race "macrotarsa", was found by us at Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW. Race "affinis" B. Hensen reports spotting Gull-billed Terns, race "affinis", at Lee Point, Darwin, NT, in August 2013. At the same location in August 2014 we only found race "macrotarsa". B. Hensen found another Gull-billed Tern, race "affinis", at Lee Point, Darwin, NT, in July 2018 and at the Leanyer Sewage Treatment Plant, Darwin, NT, in November 2018.

Photos

Race "macrotarsa"

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Near-lateral view of an adult Gull-billed Tern in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bribie Island, QLD, August 2021]

Lateral view of a Gull-billed Tern in breeding plumage
[Near Old Bar, NSW, June 2011]

Lateral view of Gull-billed Terns in both breeding and non-breeding plumage, with one smaller tern which looks, by its bill, to be a Common Tern
[Lee Point beach, Darwin, NT, August 2014]

Near-frontal view of a Gull-billed Tern in breeding plumage in flight
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2012]

Near-frontal view of a Gull-billed Tern in flight, slightly different angle
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2012]

Near-lateral view of a Gull-billed Tern in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Old Bar, NSW, December 2019]

Lateral view of a Gull-billed Tern in breeding plumage in flight
[Near Old Bar, NSW, June 2011]

Lateral view of a Gull-billed Tern in breeding plumage in flight, showing the upperwing pattern (left) and underwing pattern (right)
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2012]

Gull-billed Tern in breeding plumage caught at a somewhat inconvenient moment...
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2012]

NON-BREEDING

Gull-billed Tern in non-breeding plumage standing in shallow water; in this view the eye mask of the non-breeding plumage is clearly visible
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2011]

Here the same Gull-billed Tern is seen digging something out of the mud
[Goran Lake, NSW, April 2011]

Near-frontal view of a Gull-billed Tern in non-breeding plumage banking in flight
[Goran Lake, NSW, September 2012]

Lateral/ventral view of a Gull-billed Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Goran Lake, NSW, September 2012]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Gull-billed Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Goran Lake, NSW, September 2012]

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Gull-billed Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Near Old Bar, NSW, June 2011]

Race "affinis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

NON-BREEDING

Near-frontal view of a Gull-billed Tern in non-breeding plumage; note the small ear patch
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2013]

Near-lateral view of a Gull-billed Tern in non-breeding plumage (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2013]

Near-frontal view of two Gull-billed Tern in non-breeding plumage resting on a beach (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2013]

Lateral view of several Gull-billed Terns, race "affinis", in non-breeding plumage, one of which is taking off, displaying prominently its dark wing tips (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Leanyer Sewage Treatment Plant, Darwin, NT, November 2018]

Direct comparison of the sizes of two Gull-billed Terns in non-breeding plumage resting on a beach: race "macrotarsa", left, and race "affinis", right - note the difference in sizes; in the background a Caspian Tern in breeding plumage
(photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lee Point, Darwin, NT, August 2013]

Food, Diet

As opposed to other terns, Gull-billed Terns feed on crabs, other crustaceans as well as grasshoppers, dragon flies and other insects that they take from sand dunes, sand bars, dry mudflats or the edges of inland lakes or dams.

Gull-billed Tern taking a mud crab it has scabbed from a Bar-tailed Godwit (slightly unsharp)
[Near Old Bar, NSW, June 2011]

Here the prey can be seen more clearly
[Near Old Bar, NSW, June 2011]

Gull-billed Tern with its prey
[Lee Point beach, Darwin, NT, August 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.

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Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Tue, 17 August 2021, 9:15 +00:00