Black Tern vs Heermann's Gull

Chlidonias niger compared with Larus heermanni

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Black Tern Heermann's Gull
Scientific Name Chlidonias niger Larus heermanni
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Laridae
Conservation Status Least Concern Near Threatened
Length
Wingspan 40.3 cm (15.9 in) 67.2 cm (26.5 in)
Weight 73.15 g (2.58 oz) 448.26666666666665 g (15.81 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-3 1-2
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Black Tern only

Heermann's Gull only

None

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Black Tern

Near Threatened

Heermann's Gull

About These Birds

Black Tern

Black Tern, 22–24 cm, breeds on freshwater marshes of North America and Eurasia. Breeding plumage: sooty black body, grey wings. Insectivore and piscivore; buoyant, dipping flight over wetlands. Migratory; winters off West African coasts and in tropical America. Declining in Europe.

Heermann's Gull

Heermann's Gull, 46–51 cm, is distinctive — dark grey body, white head (breeding), red bill. Breeds almost entirely on Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California, then disperses north along the Pacific coast to British Columbia. Kleptoparasite; steals fish from Brown Pelicans. Near Threatened; range highly restricted.

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