Gray-backed Tern
A species of Tropical Pelagic Terns, Also known as Grey-backed Tern Scientific name : Onychoprion lunatus Genus : Tropical Pelagic Terns
Gray-backed Tern, A species of Tropical Pelagic Terns
Also known as:
Grey-backed Tern
Botanical name: Onychoprion lunatus
Genus: Tropical Pelagic Terns
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Forest and Kim Starr , used under CC-BY-3.0-US /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
A close relative of the bridled and sooty terns (with which it is sometimes confused), the spectacled tern is less common than the other members of its genus and it has been studied less. The three species, along with the Aleutian tern were recently split into a new genus Onychoprion from Sterna (Bridge et al., 2005). They resemble the sooty tern but with a grey back instead of a black one. Their breast and underparts are white, and they have a black eye line from the bill to the back of the head. 
Size
23 - 41 cm
Life Expectancy
18-26 years
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Gray-backed Tern, a seabird, chiefly consumes small fish and insects. It utilizes aerial dives and surface seizing to forage, often during flight. Unique adaptations include keen eyesight for spotting prey from above the water.
Habitat
The gray-backed Tern mainly inhabits tropical and subtropical oceanic islands across the Pacific, particularly favoring environments such as low sea cliffs, sandy beaches, and barren grounds on both coral and rocky islands. Breeding sites range from small atolls to larger volcanic islands, often characterized by sparse vegetation like low-growing plants and shrubs. During the non-breeding season, gray-backed Tern is pelagic, spending much of its time out at sea.
Dite type
Piscivorous
General Info
Feeding Habits
Bird food type
Distribution Area
The spectacled tern breeds on islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. At the northern end of its distribution it nests in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (with the largest population being Lisianski Island) and two small islets off Oahu, in the east as far as the Tuamotu Islands, with other colonies in the Society Islands, the Line Islands, Phoenix Islands, Mariana Islands and American Samoa. There are unconfirmed reports of breeding as far south as Fiji, and as far east as Easter Island. Little is known about the populations outside of Hawaii. Outside of the breeding season the species is partly migratory, with birds from the Hawaiian Islands flying south. It is thought that birds in other parts of the Pacific are also migratory, and will disperse as far as Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Easter Island.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Shorebirds Family
Gulls Genus
Tropical Pelagic Terns Species
Gray-backed Tern 
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