Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)

13 species in Singapore.

Gulls, terns, noddies, and skimmers (Laridae) make up an adaptable seabird family found along coasts and inland waters worldwide, with gulls most diverse in the northern hemisphere and tern diversity greatest in tropical waters. Most are strong, buoyant fliers with webbed feet and long bills for catching fish; terns are slender, typically with thin bills, while gulls are heavier-bodied with a hooked bill tip. Most species breed colonially near water and range widely outside the breeding season.

Telling the terns apart can be challenging. Check bill colour and shape, leg colour, rump colour, and head pattern. The most common species is Little Tern, which is small, and plunge-dives when feeding. Greater and Lesser Crested Terns differ in bill colour. Whiskered and White-winged Terns look similar in non-breeding plumage, but White-winged Tern shows a round ear patch, or 'headphones'. Less common species like Gull-billed, Common, Bridled, and Aleutian Terns may turn up among flocks of other terns and are most likely to be seen at coastal areas during periods of stormy weather. As for gulls, Black-headed Gull is the more expected species, distinguished from Brown-headed Gull by its wing pattern.

Most migrant terns pass through coastal mudflats, sandflats, and open sea, with Whiskered and White-winged Terns also using marshes and reservoirs on passage. In Singapore, Common, Aleutian and Bridled Terns are the more pelagic species, recorded mainly well offshore. Gulls favour coastal areas.

Terns forage by plunge-diving or dipping to snatch prey from the surface, often hovering first. Most are social, foraging and resting in flocks, sometimes with other terns and shorebirds, and can be noisy in flight, especially when alarmed.