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In 1961 the common tern was the first wild bird species identified as being infected with avian influenza, the H5N3 variant being found in an outbreak involving South African birds. [74] Several species of terns have been implicated as carriers of West Nile virus .
The common tern [2] (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white ...
The birds follow a somewhat convoluted course in order to take advantage of prevailing winds. [15] The average Arctic tern lives about 30 years and will, based on the above research, travel some 2.4 million km (1.5 million mi) during its lifetime, the equivalent of a roundtrip from Earth to the Moon more than three times. [16]
Adult royal tern and Cabot's tern (smaller bird, right) in flight at Core Banks, North Carolina. All white underparts Rodanthe, North Carolina. This is a large tern, second only to the Caspian tern but is unlikely to be confused with this "carrot-billed" giant, which has extensive dark underwing patches.
The Terns are birds of the subfamily Sterninae in the family Laridae, the suborder Lari and order Charadriiformes. Subcategories This category has the following 8 subcategories, out of 8 total.
The type species is the common tern (Sterna hirundo). [3] Sterna is derived from Old English "stearn" which appears in the poem The Seafarer ; a similar word was used to refer to terns by the Frisians .
The greater crested tern feeds mostly at sea by plunge diving to a depth of up to 1 m (3.3 ft), or by dipping from the surface, and food is usually swallowed in mid-air. Birds may forage up to 10 km (6.2 mi) from land in the breeding season. Prey size ranges from 7–138 mm (0.28–5.43 in) in length and up to 30 g (1.1 oz) in weight.
The roseate tern (Sterna dougallii) is a species of tern in the family Laridae. The genus name Sterna is derived from Old English "stearn", "tern", [2] and the specific dougallii refers to Scottish physician and collector Dr Peter McDougall (1777–1814). [3] "Roseate" refers to the bird's pink breast in breeding plumage. [4]