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White tern

February 16, 2024

The white tern or common white tern (Gygis alba) is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world.[2] It is sometimes known as the fairy tern, although this name is potentially confusing as it is also the common name of Sternula nereis. Other names for the species include angel tern and white noddy in English, and manu-o-Kū in Hawaiian. The little white tern (Gygis microrhyncha), previously considered a subspecies of the white tern (Gygis alba microrhyncha), is now recognised as a separate species.[3]

White tern
A white tern on the French Frigate Shoals
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Genus: Gygis
Species:
G. alba
Binomial name
Gygis alba
(Sparrman, 1786)

Taxonomy edit

The white tern was first formally described by the Swedish naturalist Anders Sparrman in 1786 under the binomial name Sterna alba.[4] The genus Gygis was introduced by the German zoologist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832.[5] The name Gygis is from the Ancient Greek guges for a mythical bird and the specific alba is Latin for "white".[6]

Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the white tern is more closely related to the noddies than it is to the other terns.[7] This implies that "white noddy" would be a more appropriate English name.[8]

The white tern has the following recognized subspecies:

Some authors have postulated that there may be three species of Gygis: Gygis alba, in the Atlantic Ocean, and Gygis candida and Gygis microrhyncha, both in the Pacific.[12]

Description edit

The white tern has a wingspan of 76–87 cm (30–34 in).[13] It has white plumage and a long black bill.[14] Nesting on coral islands, usually on trees with small branches but also on rocky ledges and on man-made structures, the white tern feeds on small fish which it catches by plunge diving. Giant tortoises have been observed to hunt the bird on Fregate Island in the Seychelles.[15]

Distribution and habitat edit

The white tern ranges widely across the Pacific Ocean from the coasts of Chile and Colombia to New Zealand and along the eastern and southern coasts of Asia from China to India, South Maldives, the islands of the Indian Ocean, and the coast of South Africa.[1] Rarely it is also found in Japan, Madagascar, Mexico, and on some islands in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a pelagic and epipelagic bird, living along the coast and moving into wooded areas during the breeding season.

  •  
    Fairy or white tern baby, Midway Island
  •  
    White tern parents near their chick, in Cousin Island, Seychelles.
  •  
    Gygis alba - MHNT

Behavior edit

This species is notable for laying its egg on bare thin branches in a small fork or depression without a nest. This behaviour is unusual for terns, which generally nest on the ground, and even the related tree-nesting black noddy constructs a nest. It is thought that the reason for the absence of nests is the reduction in nest parasites, which in some colonial seabirds can cause the abandonment of an entire colony.[16] In spite of these benefits there are costs associated with tree nesting, as the eggs and chicks are vulnerable to becoming dislodged by heavy winds. For this reason the white tern is also quick to relay should it lose the egg. The newly hatched chicks have well developed feet with which to hang on to their precarious nesting site. It is a long-lived bird, having been recorded living for 42[17] years.

Relationship with humans edit

The white tern, manu-o-Kū, was named Honolulu, Hawaiʻi's official bird on April 2, 2007.

New Zealand's Department of Conservation classifies the white tern as Nationally Critical, with populations having been largely decimated by the introduction of feral cats and rats on Raoul Island, the terns' only breeding site in the country.[18] As of 2016, the white tern population in New Zealand was reported to be increasing following the eradication of introduced predators in 2002.[18][19] Globally, the white tern has a large range that is home to several large colonies, and both recognised species are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List.

References edit

  1. ^ a b BirdLife International (2018). "Gygis alba". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22694821A132576063. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22694821A132576063.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Common White Tern (Gygis alba) - BirdLife species factsheet". datazone.birdlife.org. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  3. ^ del Hoyo, J; Collar, N.J.; Christie, D.A.; Elliott, A.; Fishpool, L.D.C. (2014). HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.: Lynx Edicions BirdLife International.
  4. ^ Sparrman, Anders (1786–1789). Museum Carlsonianum, in quo novas et selectas aves, coloribus ad vivum brevique descriptiones illustratas (in Latin). Vol. fasc. 1. Holmiae: Ex Typographia Regia. Plate 11.
  5. ^ Wagler, Johann Georg (1832). "Neue Cippen und Gattugen der Caugthiere und Vögel". Isis von Oken (in German and Latin). Column 1223.
  6. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 37, 182. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  7. ^ Baker, A.J.; Pereira, S.L.; Paton, T.A. (2007). "Phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of Charadriiformes genera: multigene evidence for the Cretaceous origin of at least 14 clades of shorebirds". Biology Letters. 3 (2): 205–209. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0606. PMC 2375939. PMID 17284401. Baker, Allan J; Pereira, Sérgio L; Paton, Tara A (2008). "Erratum: Phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of Charadriiformes genera: multigene evidence for the Cretaceous origin of at least 14 clades of shorebirds". Biology Letters. 4: 762–763. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0606erratum.
  8. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2019). "Noddies, gulls, terns, auks". World Bird List Version 9.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  9. ^ "Gygis alba alba (Common White-Tern (Atlantic)) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  10. ^ "Gygis alba candida (Common White-Tern (Pacific)) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  11. ^ "Gygis alba leucopes (Common White-Tern (leucopes)) - Avibase". avibase.bsc-eoc.org. Retrieved 2021-05-04.
  12. ^ Pratt, H. Douglas (22 June 2020). "Species limits and English names in the genus Gygis (Laridae)". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 140 (2): 195–208. doi:10.25226/bboc.v140i2.2020.a10.
  13. ^ Gochfeld, M.; Burger, J.; Christie, D.A.; Kirwan, G.M. "Common White Tern (Gygis alba)". In del Hoyo, J.; Elliott, A.; Sargatal, J.; Christie, D.A.; de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  14. ^ Niethammer, K. R., and L. B. Patrick-Castilaw. 1998. White Tern (Gygis alba). in The Birds of North America, No. 371 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA. doi:10.2173/bna.371
  15. ^ Zora, Anna; Gerlach, Justin (2021-08-23). "Giant tortoises hunt and consume birds". Current Biology. 31 (16): R989–R990. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2021.06.088. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 34428417.
  16. ^ Houston, D.C. (1978). "Why do fairy terns Gygis alba not build nests?". Ibis. 121 (1): 102–104. doi:10.1111/j.1474-919X.1979.tb05023.x.
  17. ^ Hawaii’s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy October 1, 2005
  18. ^ a b Island invasives : eradication and management : proceedings of the International Conference on Island Invasives. C. R. Veitch, Michael N. Clout, D. R. Towns, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Species Survival Commission, Centre for Biodiversity & Biosecurity. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN. 2011. ISBN 978-2-8317-1291-8. OCLC 770307954.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  19. ^ Robertson, Hugh A. (2017). Conservation status of New Zealand birds, 2016. Karen Baird, J. E. Dowding, Graeme Elliott, Rod Hitchmough, Colin Miskelly, Nikki McArthur. Wellington, New Zealand. ISBN 978-1-988514-23-9. OCLC 993614035.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Further reading edit

  • Yeung, N.W.; Carlon, D.B.; Conant, S. (2009). "Testing subspecies hypothesis with molecular markers and morphometrics in the Pacific white tern complex". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 98 (3): 586–595. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01299.x.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to White tern.
 
Wikispecies has information related to Gygis alba.
  • White tern videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection

February 16, 2024
white, tern, white, tern, common, white, tern, gygis, alba, small, seabird, found, across, tropical, oceans, world, sometimes, known, fairy, tern, although, this, name, potentially, confusing, also, common, name, sternula, nereis, other, names, species, includ. The white tern or common white tern Gygis alba is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world 2 It is sometimes known as the fairy tern although this name is potentially confusing as it is also the common name of Sternula nereis Other names for the species include angel tern and white noddy in English and manu o Ku in Hawaiian The little white tern Gygis microrhyncha previously considered a subspecies of the white tern Gygis alba microrhyncha is now recognised as a separate species 3 White ternA white tern on the French Frigate ShoalsConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AvesOrder CharadriiformesFamily LaridaeGenus GygisSpecies G albaBinomial nameGygis alba Sparrman 1786 Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution and habitat 4 Behavior 5 Relationship with humans 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksTaxonomy editThe white tern was first formally described by the Swedish naturalist Anders Sparrman in 1786 under the binomial name Sterna alba 4 The genus Gygis was introduced by the German zoologist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832 5 The name Gygis is from the Ancient Greek guges for a mythical bird and the specific alba is Latin for white 6 Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the white tern is more closely related to the noddies than it is to the other terns 7 This implies that white noddy would be a more appropriate English name 8 The white tern has the following recognized subspecies G a alba Sparrman 1786 9 tropical islands of the south Atlantic including Fernando de Noronha Trindade Martin Vas Rocks Ascension and St Helena islands G a candida Gmelin 1789 10 Seychelles amp Mascarene Islands to central Pacific including southern Maldives excluding range of G a leucopes and Gygis microrhyncha G a leucopes Holyoak amp Thibault 1976 11 Pitcairn IslandsSome authors have postulated that there may be three species of Gygis Gygis alba in the Atlantic Ocean and Gygis candida and Gygis microrhyncha both in the Pacific 12 Description editThe white tern has a wingspan of 76 87 cm 30 34 in 13 It has white plumage and a long black bill 14 Nesting on coral islands usually on trees with small branches but also on rocky ledges and on man made structures the white tern feeds on small fish which it catches by plunge diving Giant tortoises have been observed to hunt the bird on Fregate Island in the Seychelles 15 Distribution and habitat editThe white tern ranges widely across the Pacific Ocean from the coasts of Chile and Colombia to New Zealand and along the eastern and southern coasts of Asia from China to India South Maldives the islands of the Indian Ocean and the coast of South Africa 1 Rarely it is also found in Japan Madagascar Mexico and on some islands in the Atlantic Ocean It is a pelagic and epipelagic bird living along the coast and moving into wooded areas during the breeding season nbsp Fairy or white tern baby Midway Island nbsp White tern parents near their chick in Cousin Island Seychelles nbsp Gygis alba MHNTBehavior editThis species is notable for laying its egg on bare thin branches in a small fork or depression without a nest This behaviour is unusual for terns which generally nest on the ground and even the related tree nesting black noddy constructs a nest It is thought that the reason for the absence of nests is the reduction in nest parasites which in some colonial seabirds can cause the abandonment of an entire colony 16 In spite of these benefits there are costs associated with tree nesting as the eggs and chicks are vulnerable to becoming dislodged by heavy winds For this reason the white tern is also quick to relay should it lose the egg The newly hatched chicks have well developed feet with which to hang on to their precarious nesting site It is a long lived bird having been recorded living for 42 17 years Relationship with humans editThe white tern manu o Ku was named Honolulu Hawaiʻi s official bird on April 2 2007 New Zealand s Department of Conservation classifies the white tern as Nationally Critical with populations having been largely decimated by the introduction of feral cats and rats on Raoul Island the terns only breeding site in the country 18 As of 2016 the white tern population in New Zealand was reported to be increasing following the eradication of introduced predators in 2002 18 19 Globally the white tern has a large range that is home to several large colonies and both recognised species are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List References edit a b BirdLife International 2018 Gygis alba IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018 e T22694821A132576063 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2018 2 RLTS T22694821A132576063 en Retrieved 12 November 2021 Common White Tern Gygis alba BirdLife species factsheet datazone birdlife org Retrieved 2021 05 04 del Hoyo J Collar N J Christie D A Elliott A Fishpool L D C 2014 HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World Volume 1 Non passerines Barcelona Spain and Cambridge UK Lynx Edicions BirdLife International Sparrman Anders 1786 1789 Museum Carlsonianum in quo novas et selectas aves coloribus ad vivum brevique descriptiones illustratas in Latin Vol fasc 1 Holmiae Ex Typographia Regia Plate 11 Wagler Johann Georg 1832 Neue Cippen und Gattugen der Caugthiere und Vogel Isis von Oken in German and Latin Column 1223 Jobling James A 2010 The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names London Christopher Helm pp 37 182 ISBN 978 1 4081 2501 4 Baker A J Pereira S L Paton T A 2007 Phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of Charadriiformes genera multigene evidence for the Cretaceous origin of at least 14 clades of shorebirds Biology Letters 3 2 205 209 doi 10 1098 rsbl 2006 0606 PMC 2375939 PMID 17284401 Baker Allan J Pereira Sergio L Paton Tara A 2008 Erratum Phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of Charadriiformes genera multigene evidence for the Cretaceous origin of at least 14 clades of shorebirds Biology Letters 4 762 763 doi 10 1098 rsbl 2006 0606erratum Gill Frank Donsker David eds 2019 Noddies gulls terns auks World Bird List Version 9 2 International Ornithologists Union Retrieved 24 June 2019 Gygis alba alba Common White Tern Atlantic Avibase avibase bsc eoc org Retrieved 2021 05 04 Gygis alba candida Common White Tern Pacific Avibase avibase bsc eoc org Retrieved 2021 05 04 Gygis alba leucopes Common White Tern leucopes Avibase avibase bsc eoc org Retrieved 2021 05 04 Pratt H Douglas 22 June 2020 Species limits and English names in the genus Gygis Laridae Bulletin of the British Ornithologists Club 140 2 195 208 doi 10 25226 bboc v140i2 2020 a10 Gochfeld M Burger J Christie D A Kirwan G M Common White Tern Gygis alba In del Hoyo J Elliott A Sargatal J Christie D A de Juana E eds Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive Lynx Edicions Retrieved 16 April 2017 Niethammer K R and L B Patrick Castilaw 1998 White Tern Gygis alba in The Birds of North America No 371 A Poole and F Gill eds The Birds of North America Inc Philadelphia PA doi 10 2173 bna 371 Zora Anna Gerlach Justin 2021 08 23 Giant tortoises hunt and consume birds Current Biology 31 16 R989 R990 doi 10 1016 j cub 2021 06 088 ISSN 0960 9822 PMID 34428417 Houston D C 1978 Why do fairy terns Gygis alba not build nests Ibis 121 1 102 104 doi 10 1111 j 1474 919X 1979 tb05023 x Hawaii s Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy October 1 2005 a b Island invasives eradication and management proceedings of the International Conference on Island Invasives C R Veitch Michael N Clout D R Towns International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Species Survival Commission Centre for Biodiversity amp Biosecurity Gland Switzerland IUCN 2011 ISBN 978 2 8317 1291 8 OCLC 770307954 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link Robertson Hugh A 2017 Conservation status of New Zealand birds 2016 Karen Baird J E Dowding Graeme Elliott Rod Hitchmough Colin Miskelly Nikki McArthur Wellington New Zealand ISBN 978 1 988514 23 9 OCLC 993614035 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint location missing publisher link Further reading editYeung N W Carlon D B Conant S 2009 Testing subspecies hypothesis with molecular markers and morphometrics in the Pacific white tern complex Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 98 3 586 595 doi 10 1111 j 1095 8312 2009 01299 x External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to White tern nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Gygis alba White tern videos photos amp sounds on the Internet Bird Collection nbsp Birds portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title White tern amp oldid 1200199559, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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