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To the Beauty of Birds

The Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata, is a typical tern. It ranges throughout the southern oceans. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related Arctic Tern, but is stockier, and the wing tips are gray instead of blackish in flight. It is, of course, in breeding plumage in the southern summer, when Arctic has moulted to its non-breeding plumage.

Breeding takes place from mid-November to early December. Chicks hatch from December to February. Skuas and jaegers are the primary predators of this bird's eggs and young.

The Antarctic Tern is a small bird at 12-15 inches long. Its bill is usually a dark red or blackish. It is mainly pale grey and white, but has a black cap when breeding. In non-breeding plumage it has a grizzled crown and white forehead. The tips of this tern's wings are greyish black.

These were photographed at Cooper’s Bay, South Georgia.

Antarctic Tern

Antarctic Tern 6291

Antarctic Tern 6269

Antarctic Tern 5304

Antarctic Tern 5306

Antarctic Tern 5638

Antarctic Tern3586

Antarctic Terns 6236

Antarctic Tern 3538