Roseate Tern
Sterna dougallii Montagu, 1813
Laridae — Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Roseate Tern, Sterna dougallii, is a tern of the family Laridae that breeds worldwide in patchy temperate to tropical Atlantic, tropical Indian, and subtropical to tropical western Pacific areas as far as Vanuatu. It was described by Montagu in 1813. The bird is known for the pink wash on the breast shown in breeding plumage, which gives it its name. It has a black bill with a red base that becomes more extensive during the breeding season, and the tropical and southern forms can show a fully red bill. In summer the underparts also take on a pinkish tint.
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae — Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
- Breeding range
- Worldwide : patchily temperate to tropical Atlantic, tropical Indian, and subtropical to tropical w Pacific to Vanuatu
