2020 Bonanza Bird #18

Birdorable's Newest Addition: The Elegant Bridled Tern

Birdorable Bridled Tern

Today’s new Birdorable species is a pelagic seabird: the Bridled Tern!

Like many seabirds, the Bridled Tern has a monochromatic plumage in whites, greys, and blacks. Their plumage is countershaded, meaning they are dark above and light below. This is a type of camouflage -- the way natural light hits them helps to make them less visible to aquatic prey from below and potential predators from above.

Bridled Terns are found in tropical and subtropical waters across parts of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This cutie joins Birdorable as our 15th species of tern.

Bridled Tern

Tomorrow we’ll add a species of waterbird with the longest bill size of any species. Do you know this bird?

Cute Bridled Tern Gifts

Comments

Just Another Birder on December 11, 2020 at 1:30 PM wrote:
I'm really not positive on this one but my best guesses are Dalmatian Pelican or Australian Pelican
Brandon Nayar on December 11, 2020 at 3:54 PM wrote:
Def Australian Pelican
Spurwing Plover on June 5, 2022 at 10:45 PM wrote:
One Good Tern deserves another
saddle billed stork on September 5, 2024 at 3:10 PM wrote:
It is definitely the australian pelican,for sure
saddle billed stork on September 5, 2024 at 4:12 PM wrote:
I am not being rude but just another birder, you are wrong with the dalmatian pelican it is an australian pelican.
red billed starling on September 5, 2024 at 4:20 PM wrote:
hello everyone

Leave a comment

Comments with links or HTML will be deleted. Your comment will be published pending approval.
Your email address will not be published
You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information on how to unsubscribe, our privacy practices, and how we are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy, please review our Privacy Policy. By clicking submit below, you consent to allow Birdorable to store and process the personal information submitted above to provide you the content requested.

2015 Bonanza Bird #7: Fire-tufted Barbet

Today our Birdorable Bonanza: 2015 Advent Edition continues with an Asian species of barbet: the Fire-tufted Barbet! The Fire-tufted Barbet is one of 26 species of Asian barbets, which are found from Tibet to Indonesia. Birds in this family, Megalaimidae, are generally...

What is a Brood Patch? Why and When Do Birds Have Them?

A brood patch is a bare area of skin that some birds develop during nesting. The bare skin is an adaptation to help with egg incuabation. The patch of featherless skin allows the parent bird to provide extra warmth from his or her own body to the eggs in...

2013 Bonanza Bird #21: Australian Magpie

We're adding a new bird each day until we reach our 500th Birdorable species! Today's Bonanza bird is the Australian Magpie. Australian Magpies are not closely related to the magpies found in Europe or the Americas. When European naturalists came to settle...

2020 Bonanza Bird #8: African Jacana

Today’s new species is a type of wading bird found in parts of sub-Saharan Africa. The African Jacana is easily recognized by its unique chestnut plumage, its blue beak and facial shield, and by those toes. Look at those crazy long toes! African...