The Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
Description
It is the world's largest tern with a length of , a wingspan of and a weight of . The upper wings and back are pale grey; the underwings are pale with dark primary feathers. In-flight, the tail is less forked than other terns, and wingtips are black on the underside.
The global population is about 50,000 pairs; numbers in most regions are stable, but the Baltic Sea population (1400–1475 pairs in the early 1990s) is declining and of conservation concern.
External links
- Caspian Tern species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds