Black tern (Chlidonias niger)

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Abstract:

This species account deals almost entirely with the North American subspecies of black tern (Chlidonias niger surinamensis) and provides in detail the known information about the its life history, including distribution, migration, habitat, food habits, sounds, behavior, and breeding. Populations of this tern in North America and Europe have declined markedly, at least since the 1960s. In North America, Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data show an average annual decline of 3.1% over the period 1966–1996, with the steepest declines evident prior to 1980. Recent studies have focused on identifying broad-scale habitat suitability through the use of remote sensing, modeling, and landscape level land, as well as analyses of nest site selection within wetlands. Analyses investigating habitat and conspecific variables that influence nest success have elucidated factors influencing predation. In Maine, factors influencing breeding productivity—including water level increases, food resources, and predation—have also been investigated. Research on the effects of nesting platforms and investigator disturbance on breeding success have provided insight into management and research alternatives. Given the recent declining trends in populations of this species in North America, identifying critical wetland complexes for conservation and filling gaps in our knowledge of breeding ecology and wintering ecology remain important priorities across the its range.

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Location: This record is to a revised version, which is online only; a note is also posted in ELECTRONIC FILES - Zoology

Recommended Citation:
Heath, Shane R., Erica H. Dunn and David J. Agro. 2009. Black Tern (Chlidonias niger), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/147. doi:10.2173/bna.147.

SWAP (2/19/2016) citation:
Heath SR, Dunn EH, Agro DJ. 2009. Black tern (Chlidonias niger). The Birds of North America Online. (A Poole, editor). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. [revised 2009 Jun 3; accessed 2015 Jun 01]. http://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/147.

From BNA: "The purpose of BNA being online is so that the content can be continually updated; therefore we discourage you from printing static copies, in case the information changes."