Black-fronted Tern

Chlidonias albostriatus

The Black-fronted Tern is a small, elegant seabird with a black cap and a white forehead, throat, and underparts. Its back and wings are pale gray, and it has a slender, slightly drooped black bill. During the breeding season, its black cap extends to the nape. This species is known for its graceful flight and agile foraging behavior, often seen hovering over water bodies before plunging to catch small fish. It breeds in colonies on shingle riverbeds and inland lakes in New Zealand, and migrates to coastal areas during the non-breeding season. The Black-fronted Tern is vulnerable to habitat loss and disturbance at its breeding sites, and is listed as 'Endangered' by the IUCN due to declining population trends.

Habitat: Riverbeds, inland lakes, coastal areas