Sandwich Tern
A species of Crested terns Scientific name : Thalasseus sandvicensis Genus : Crested terns
Sandwich Tern, A species of Crested terns
Botanical name: Thalasseus sandvicensis
Genus: Crested terns
Content
Description General Info
Photo By Francesco Veronesi , used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The sandwich Tern is a stunning seabird that makes a big impact. With its sleek black cap, white body, and gray wings, it's hard to miss. This bird is skilled at catching small fish by hovering over the water and using its long, slender bill. It's a medium-sized bird that moves with grace and ease, gliding effortlessly through the air. 
Size
34-41 cm (13.5-16 in)
Colors
Black
Gray
White
Life Expectancy
24 years
Nest Placement
Ground
Feeding Habits
Sandwich Tern's diet consists primarily of small fish, such as sand eels, herring, menhaden, and crustaceans, which they catch by plunge-diving from up to 25 feet. Sandwich Tern may feed solitarily or in massive groups with other seabirds, especially when prey is plentiful. They also opportunistically eat insects like mayflies when available.
Habitat
Sandwich Tern are primarily coastal birds favoring shallow marine environments close to shores, such as coastal waters and beaches. They nest predominantly on sandy or low coral island beaches, shunning dense vegetation, and occasionally on rocky substrates. Preferred habitats include barrier islands, jetties, and dredge-spoil islands. Sandwich Tern forage in proximate shallow ocean waters, rivermouths, estuaries, lagoons, and inlets. During migration and winter, they utilize similar habitats for resting and roosting, including human-made structures. Generally, sandwich Tern stays near the coastline and is rarely found far inland, except during extreme weather events like hurricanes.
Nest Behavior
Sandwich Tern pairs select a nest site together, typically timing construction with little vegetation. Nesting includes scraping, adornment, and shared parental duties.
Nest Characteristics
The nest of sandwich Tern is a simple scrape in sand or shingle, often with added shells, averaging 6 inches wide and 1.3 inches deep.
Dite type
Piscivorous
General Info
Behavior
Sandwich Tern exhibit a complex social structure, often forming dense nesting colonies. Within these colonies, courting rituals are elaborate, involving both ground and aerial displays. During daily activities, sandwich Tern may display the catch of a fish as part of the courtship process. Pair bonded individuals engage in synchronized flight patterns, characterized by rapid ascent followed by a gliding descent, accentuated with vocalizations and distinctive wing postures. Habitat interaction includes group socialization on colony peripheries before forming strong pair bonds, indicative of their highly coordinated and communal lifestyle.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Scientific Classification
Phylum
Chordates Class
Birds Order
Shorebirds Family
Gulls Genus
Crested terns Species
Sandwich Tern 
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