Atlantic White Tern

Gygis alba (Sparrman, 1786)

Atlantic White Tern, Gygis alba, breeds on tropical and subtropical islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, including Fernando de Noronha, Trindade, Ascension and St. Helena, and ranges through tropical seas when not breeding. It is a seabird of the Atlantic Ocean and belongs to the gull, tern and skimmer family. The bird is known for its white plumage and dark bill, with a black eye set off by a narrow ring of feathers. It lays its egg on bare branches or other exposed sites rather than building a nest.

Order

Charadriiformes

Family

Laridae — Gulls, Terns, Skimmers

Breeding range

Tropical Ocean: tropical and subtropical South Atlantic Ocean islands: Fernando de Noronha, Trindade (ne, s of ne Brazil); Ascension and St. Helena (tropical se Atlantic Ocean)

Nonbreeding range

tropical seas