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Sooty Tern (Onychoprion [Sterna] fuscata) Alternate name(s): "Wideawake Tern", "Egg-bird" Size: 33-36 cm; wing span 82-94 cm Body mass: 120-240 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.27-0.31

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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 Sooty Terns are medium-sized terns. They have a black cap that also covers the entire nape of the neck, connecting to the black mantle and wings. The black eyes are set into a black eye stripe. Frons and front (throat, chest, belly, vent) are all white. Bill, legs and feet are black. The underwings are white, except for a broad dark-grey trailing edge and a small black spot near the alula. Juveniles are all dark-grey, expect the vent, which is lighter grey. The upperwings are slightly scalloped. Twitcher's tip Compared to Bridled Terns, the Sooty Tern is somewhat darker in appearance.

Taxonomy, classification See Sooty 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 Sooty Tern is available HERE . Sooty Terns inhabit the tropical, subtropical and temperate seas around the world. They breed on rocky and coral islands and outside the breeding season will disperse widely. They are the species of tern with the most marine habits, spending most time (up to years) out at sea, without coming ashore. Sooty Terns, race "serrata", can reach the coastal waters of the Australian continent and offshore islands anywhere between about the NSW/VIC border in the South-East, around the northern part of the continent, to about Perth, WA, on the western side. Sooty Terns have a strong preference for the open seas when not breeding. During the breeding season they can be found in rocky areas or on beaches of tropical islands.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "serrata" B. Hensen reports spotting Sooty Terns, race "serrata", near Ned's Beach, Lord Howe Island, in November 2014. M. Mearns reports spotting Sooty Terns, race "serrata", on Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, in January 2016. E. Scott reports spotting Sooty Terns, race "serrata", along the coastline of Yuraygir NP, NSW, in July 2017. M. Eaton reports finding a colony of Sooty Terns, race "serrata", on Michaelmas Cay, QLD, in October 2024.

Photos

Race "serrata"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Close-up near-lateral/lateral view of two Sooty Terns (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a Sooty Tern (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a Sooty Tern (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]

Lateral view of a Sooty Tern on the ground (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Near Ned's Beach, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Near-dorsal view of a Sooty Tern (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Overview of a small colony of Sooty Terns (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Lateral view of a Sooty Tern in flight, with a view of the bird's underwing pattern (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Near Ned's Beach, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Lateral view of a Sooty Tern in flight, with a view of the bird's upperwing pattern (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Near Ned's Beach, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Two Sooty Terns in flight (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Near Ned's Beach, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Ventral view of a Sooty Tern in flight looking down at the observer (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral/ventral view of an immature Sooty Tern in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Ventral view of an immature Sooty Tern in flight (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Sooty Tern (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]

Lateral view of Sooty Terns with a juvenile (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]

Lateral view of Sooty Terns with a juvenile (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Lady Elliot Island, near Agnes Water, QLD, January 2016]

Lateral view of 2 Sooty Terns with a juvenile (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Close-up near-dorsal view of a Sooty Tern with a juvenile (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Sooty Tern, with an adult in the background (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Michaelmas Cay, QLD, October 2024]

(Near-)frontal view of a Sooty Tern with a young chick (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Near-lateral view of a Sooty Tern chick (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Dorsal view of a Sooty Tern chick looking sideways (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Adult Sooty Tern with its chick (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Near Ned's Beach, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jan - Dec

Eggs: 1 ( - 3)

Incubation period: 26-28 days

Fledging age: ?

Sooty Terns can, depending on location and conditions, in principle breed any time of the year. In the tropics the core breeding period is around April-July, in the subtropical and temperate regions about September-November.

Nest building: ?

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Scrape

Material: Sand, rock pebbles

Height above ground: N/A

Sooty Terns nest in huge colonies. Their nests are just shallow hollows in sand, without any lining (except possibly pre-existing fine grass from tufts into which the nest is built).

Sooty Tern nest with one egg in it (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Blinky Beach, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 52 x 36 mm

Colour: Creamy, with varying degrees of dark-brown speckling

Shape: Tapered oval

Sooty Tern nest with one egg in it (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Blinky Beach, Lord Howe Island, November 2014]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Migratory/nomadic

Elementary unit: Mob/flock

Sooty Terns are highly pelagic and one of the most mobile species known; individuals have been found to cover up to 47,000 km in 8 months. They are known to mature in 6 years, not returning to their breeding grounds until then. They spend all that time above the high seas, even sleeping in flight.

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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