Sterna aurantia (*)
Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Ordo: Charadriiformes
Subordo: Lari
Familia: Laridae
Subfamilia: Sterninae
Genus: Sterna
Species: Sterna aurantia
Name
Sterna aurantia J. E. Gray, 1831
References
Illustrations of Indian Zoology 1: pl.69 fig.2.
Vernacular names
العربية: خرشنة برتقالية
অসমীয়া: গঙা চিলনী
azərbaycanca: Hindistan adi susüpürəni
български: Индийска рибарка
català: Xatrac fluvial
čeština: Rybák říční
Cymraeg: Môr-wennol afon
dansk: Flodterne
Deutsch: Hinduseeschwalbe
English: River Tern
Esperanto: Rivera ŝterno
español: Charrán indio
فارسی: پرستودریایی رودخانهای
suomi: Jokitiira
français: Sterne de rivière
magyar: Folyómenti csér
հայերեն: Հնդկական ջրածիծառ
italiano: Sterna di fiume
日本語: カワアジサシ
മലയാളം: പുഴ ആള
मराठी: नदीसूरय
မြန်မာဘာသာ: မြစ်ထွေး၊
नेपाली: कुरारी फ्यालफ्याले
Nederlands: Rivierstern
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ: ਦਰਿਆਈ ਤੇਹਾੜੀ
русский: Индийская крачка
svenska: Flodtärna
தமிழ்: ஆற்று ஆலா
Tiếng Việt: Nhàn sông
中文: 黄嘴河燕鸥
The Indian river tern or just river tern (Sterna aurantia) is a tern in the family Laridae. It is a resident breeder along inland rivers from Iran east into the Indian Subcontinent and further to Myanmar to Thailand, where it is uncommon. Unlike most Sterna terns, it is almost exclusively found on freshwater, rarely venturing even to tidal creeks.
This species breeds from March to May in colonies in less accessible areas such as sandbanks in rivers. It nests in a ground scrape, often on bare rock or sand, and lays three greenish-grey to buff eggs, which are blotched and streaked with brown.
River Terns arrived at Bhadra Dam Island for breeding
This is a medium-sized tern, 38–43 cm long with dark grey upperparts, white underparts, a forked tail with long flexible streamers, and long pointed wings. The bill is yellow and the legs red. It has a black cap in breeding plumage. In the winter the cap is greyish white, flecked and streaked with black, there is a dark mask through the eye, and the tip of the bill becomes dusky.
in flight
Catching a fish on the wing.
The sexes are similar but juveniles have a brown head, brown-marked grey upperparts, grey breast sides and white underparts. The bill is yellowish with a dark tip
As with other Sterna terns, the river tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, crustaceans, tadpoles and aquatic insects in rivers, lakes, and tanks. Its numbers are decreasing due to the pollution of their habitat.
References
BirdLife International (2020). "Sterna aurantia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22694537A180171504. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22694537A180171504.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp'Seabirds: An Identification Guide by Harrison, Peter ISBN 0-7470-1410-8
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