🐦

Grey-backed Tern

Onychoprion lunatus

Least Concern
Wingspan
52.2 cm
Weight
126.21666666666665 g
Family
Laridae
Order
Charadriiformes
On this page

About

Grey-backed Tern, 35–37 cm, is a Pacific seabird breeding on islands from Hawaii to Micronesia and Polynesia. Pale grey back distinguishes it from the similar Bridled Tern; white below with black cap. Piscivore; surface-dips and shallow plunge-dives. Largely pelagic when not breeding.

Physical Description

Measurement Value Imperial
Wingspan 52.2 cm 20.6 in
Weight 126.21666666666665 g 4.45 oz

Habitat & Range

Conservation Status

Least Concern
IUCN Red List

Behavior & Breeding

Nesting

Nest type: SC. Incubation: 24-35 days. Fledging: 35 days.

Clutch Size

1

Taxonomy

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes (Shorebirds & Gulls)
Family Laridae (Gulls & Terns)
Genus Onychoprion
Species Onychoprion lunatus

Distribution

Grey-backed Tern has been recorded in 1 countries.

{# Distribution Map — simplified SVG world map with highlighted countries. Expects `country_codes` variable: list of ISO alpha-2 codes (e.g. ["US", "CA", "MX"]). Uses Alpine.js to toggle classes on country paths. #}
Present Not recorded
{# Simplified country/region shapes — major landmasses with ISO alpha-2 data attributes. These are simplified polygon representations for visual distribution display. #}

countries highlighted

External Databases

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Grey-backed Tern endangered?
The Grey-backed Tern has a conservation status of Least Concern.
How does the Grey-backed Tern nest?
Nest type: SC. Incubation: 24-35 days. Fledging: 35 days.
How big is the Grey-backed Tern?
The Grey-backed Tern has a wingspan of 52.2 cm, weight of 126.21666666666665 g.
What order and family does the Grey-backed Tern belong to?
The Grey-backed Tern (Onychoprion lunatus) belongs to the order Charadriiformes and the family Laridae.

Similar Birds

Other species in the Laridae family

Compare

Explore More

Explore the Nature FYI Family