The roseate tern is a species of tern in the family Laridae. The genus name Sterna is derived from Old English "stearn", "tern", and the specific dougallii refers to Scottish physician and collector Dr Peter McDougall (1777–1814). "Roseate" refers to the bird's pink breast in breeding plumage.
Region
North Atlantic and Indo-Pacific coasts
Typical Environment
Breeds on offshore islands and coastal islets in the North Atlantic (North America and Europe) and widely across the Indian Ocean and western Pacific. Colonies occur from New England and Atlantic Canada to the British Isles and the Azores, and from the Red Sea and Madagascar to Southeast Asia and Australia. Outside breeding, many birds disperse to tropical seas, wintering around warm-water currents and productive upwellings. It favors sandy or rocky islands, coral cays, sheltered lagoons, and barrier beaches with low vegetation, and forages over nearshore waters and tidal fronts.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 100 m
Climate Zone
Other
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
A graceful seabird with exceptionally long tail streamers, the roseate tern shows a delicate pink flush on the breast in breeding plumage. Its bill darkens to mostly black outside the breeding season but often gains a reddish base when breeding. It nests colonially on offshore islands, where predator control and habitat management have led to notable conservation successes in some regions.
Juvenile S. d. dougallii showing its scaly mantle. Northumberland, UK.
S. d. bangsi often has an all-red bill. Indonesia.
S. d. gracilis, Capricornia Cays National Park, Queensland, Australia
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
agile, buoyant flier with hovering and plunge-dives
Social Behavior
Strongly colonial, nesting in dense groups often alongside other terns on predator-reduced islands. Pairs are typically monogamous, and courtship includes aerial displays and ritualized fish offerings. Nests are shallow scrapes on open ground or under sparse vegetation, and both parents share incubation and chick rearing.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Calls are soft, rasping and sibilant, including sharp 'chee-ick' and rolling 'krrr' notes. Vocalizations become more frequent and insistent around colonies during courtship and territorial interactions.
Plumage
Slender tern with pale grey upperparts and white underparts that can show a subtle rosy flush in breeding season; sleek black cap and very long, white tail streamers.
Diet
Primarily takes small schooling fish such as sand lance, sprats, and herring fry, supplemented by small squid and crustaceans. Forages by hovering and plunge-diving, often capturing prey near the surface. It may feed alone or in loose flocks, frequently exploiting tidal rips and areas of concentrated baitfish.
Preferred Environment
Usually feeds over inshore marine waters, estuaries, and around reefs and sandbars where prey is near the surface. Often forages within commuting distance of colonies but can range farther when local prey is scarce.
