Scientific Name: Onychoprion anaethetus
Malay Name: Camar Batu Biasa
Chinese Name: 褐翅燕鸥
Range: Found along the coasts and offshore islands of Africa to Indian Ocean, Arabian Peninsula, southern China, Southeast Asia, Australia, Central and South America
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: melanopterus, antarcticus, anaethetus, nelsoni.
Local Subspecies: anaethetus
Size: 37-42 cm
Identification: Non-breeding adult has dark brownish-grey upper side, thin whitish nuchal band, whitish forehead-patch, blackish crown, nape and mask, deeply forked tail and blackish bill, legs and feet. Breeding adult has clean white forehead and short eyebrow contrast with black eyestripe, crown and nape. Juvenile resembles non-breeding adult but has whitish tips and dark subterminal bars on upperparts and wing-coverts.
Habitat: Open seas.
Behaviour/Ecology: Seldom dives, preferring to pick up food material from the water surface. Feeds in the open seas, rarely coming to coastal waters.
Local Status: Uncommon resident and uncommon migrant
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2019)
Location: Straits of Singapore.
- Pelagic Bird Survey at the Singapore Strait – 5 May 2018 (Trip Reports)
- Pelagic Bird Survey to the Horsburgh Lighthouse – 29 April 2017 (Trip Reports)
- Pelagic Bird Survey at the Singapore Strait – 15 October 2016 (Trip Reports)
Featured reports: May 2022, Jul 2022, Sep 2022, Oct 2022, Nov 2022, Apr 2023, May 2023, Sep 2023, Oct 2023, May 2024, Jun 2024, Jul 2024, Aug 2024
Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Bridled Tern)
References:
BirdLife International. (2019). Onychoprion anaethetus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22694730A154676367.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023
Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.
Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.
RECOMMENDED CITATION
Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Bridled Tern. Retrieved on December 7, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/bridled-tern.