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10

Sandwich Tern

(Thalasseus sandvicensis)
Size: 37-43 cm; wing span 85-97 cm

Similar
species

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

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Sandwich Tern at Wikipedia .

Click here for classification information

Range, habitat

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Three Sandwich Terns, foreground, with an adult Sooty Gull at the back; the bird with the black cap at the centre is in breeding plumage, the two Sandwich Terns with white foreheads are adults in non-breeding plumage (note the distinctive grey tip of the bill)
[Quriyyat, May 2010]

NON-BREEDING

Lateral view of a Sandwich Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Ras Al-Sawadi, Batinah region, May 2010]

Lateral view of a Sandwich Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Ras Al-Sawadi, Batinah region, May 2010]

Near-dorsal view of a Sandwich Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight
[Quriyyat, May 2010]

Six Lesser Crested Terns (orange bills), together with two Sandwich Terns (tall birds with dark bills) and two smaller White-cheeked Terns
[Quriyyat, May 2010]

Lesser Crested Terns (orange bills), together with several White-cheeked Terns (foreground), Greater Crested Terns (yellow bills) and two Sandwich Terns on the right, with their dark bills
[Quriyyat, May 2010]

More photos of Sandwich Terns were taken by us in Europe.

Food, Diet

Like all terns, Sandwich Terns feed on fish, which they catch with their bills just under the surface of water in a steep high-speed dive from considerable height.

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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