Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Saunders's Tern (Sternula saundersi)
Saunders's Tern

Saunders's Tern

Sternula saundersi

The Saunders's tern, known scientifically as Sternula saundersi and sometimes referred to as the black-shafted tern, is a diminutive seabird with a graceful appearance. It boasts a white body contrasted by a black cap and a black-tipped yellow bill. During the breeding season, it can be distinguished by its straight-bordered white forehead patch, darker legs and feet, and more pronounced black on the outer primaries compared to its close relative, the little tern.

Identification Tips

Adult Saunders's terns measure between 20 to 28 centimeters in length, with a wingspan ranging from 50 to 55 centimeters. They weigh approximately 40 to 45 grams. Key identification features include an average wing length of 16.6 centimeters, a bill length of around 2.8 centimeters, and a tail fork depth also about 2.8 centimeters. In breeding plumage, look for the straight-bordered forehead patch and duskier colored legs and feet.

Habitat

Saunders's terns are coastal birds, favoring the shores along the north-western Indian Ocean.

Distribution

These terns are sparsely resident in regions including southern Somalia, the Arabian Peninsula, Socotra, Pakistan, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and northern Sri Lanka.

Behaviour

Saunders's terns exhibit a fascinating feeding behavior, hovering above the water for extended periods before plunging in to catch fish. This aerial display is a testament to their agility and precision.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of Saunders's terns primarily consists of marine animals such as small fish, crustaceans, and mollusks. They also consume various insects, showcasing their adaptability in feeding habits.

Conservation status

The Saunders's tern is currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, indicating that, for now, this species does not face an immediate threat of extinction in the wild.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Saunders's Terns on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Gulls, Terns, Skimmers

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Ellesse_W
Learning Birding with Birda
I’m relatively new to birding as a hobby, and Birda is a great way to keep track off all the species I see. I’m still working on my ID skills, but the app is great for figuring out potential species, and the online community is so friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend Birda to both early and serious birders! 🐦
Jane N
A great app
Enjoying it immensely and finding it useful too. Recording the different birds and counting them is showing me how the present climate is affecting them all. I've trebled the numbers by planting native hedging. A great app.
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
Amylia S
Best app for any birding person!
I love this app!! I am so addicted to it when I saw it had 3 star review I was so sad! The app is awesome!! The best app for any birding person! ❤️
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
Paul F
Very good database
Highly recommend. It great that this app shows you male Vs female variations when posting. Very good database I'm really impressed.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.