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Gull-billed Tern
Their unique name tells an intentional story.
© USFWS-Pacific Southwest
The Gull-billed Tern are terns with black caps and unusually thick bills– like a gull. This lets them eat more types of prey than other terns that rely on fish. Gull-billed Terns tackle crabs and lizards on the ground, catch flies, and even steal chicks from other birds. They’re found across the coasts of Central and South America and Southeastern US and California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers the species a Bird of Conservation Concern due to boating or construction work near their nesting colonies.
BirdNote®
Gull-billed Tern
Written by Conor Gearin
This is BirdNote.
[Eurasian Eagle-Owl calls]
Some bird names might make you go, “huh?” Snake-eagles, eagle-owls, hawk-eagles, sparrowhawks, bat-falcons, quail-doves – they sort of sound like bizarre science experiments. Well, some species are named for what they eat, like snake-eagles. Some names refer to another bird they resemble, like quail-doves – which are part of the dove family.
[Gull-billed Tern calls]
Compared to those names, maybe the Gull-billed Tern doesn’t sound quite as outlandish. They’re terns with black caps and unusually thick bills, like a gull. This lets them eat more types of prey than other terns, which rely on fish. Gull-billed Terns tackle crabs and lizards on the ground, catch flies, and even steal chicks from other birds.
[Gull-billed Tern calls]
These crafty terns are found nesting in colonies along the coasts of South and Central America as well as the Southeast US and California.
[Gull-billed Tern breeding colony]
Human activities like boating or construction work can lead Gull-billed Terns to abandon their nests. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers the species a Bird of Conservation Concern. That means they could become endangered if actions aren’t taken to protect them soon.
[Gull-billed Tern breeding colony]
Birds like the Gull-billed Tern stretch our minds with their amazing adaptations. So the least we can do is get creative with naming them.
For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein.
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Senior Producer: John Kessler
Producer: Mark Bramhill
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Conor Gearin
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Eurasian Eagle-Owl ML59172501 recorded by Patrik Åberg, Gull-billed Tern ML71560121 recorded by Paul Marvin, and Gull-billed Tern ML3278 recorded by Donald S. McChesney and Marian P. McChesney.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2023 BirdNote June 2023
Narrator: Michael Stein
ID# GBTE-02-2023-06-12 GBTE-02
Conor Gearin
Writer
Michael Stein
NarratorSights & Sounds
