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Difference between revisions of "Antarctic tern"
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The '''Antarctic tern''' (''Sterna vittata'') is a typical tern. It ranges throughout the [[Southern Ocean|southern ocean]] and the continent of [[Antarctica]]. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related Arctic tern, but is stockier, and the wing tips are grey instead of blackish in flight. It is in breeding plumage in the southern summer, when the Arctic tern has moulted to its non-breeding plumage (though this is not useful for separating it from another species, the South American tern). | The '''Antarctic tern''' (''Sterna vittata'') is a typical tern. It ranges throughout the [[Southern Ocean|southern ocean]] and the continent of [[Antarctica]]. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related Arctic tern, but is stockier, and the wing tips are grey instead of blackish in flight. It is in breeding plumage in the southern summer, when the Arctic tern has moulted to its non-breeding plumage (though this is not useful for separating it from another species, the South American tern). | ||
Breeding takes place from mid-November to early December. Chicks hatch from December to February. Skuas | Breeding takes place from mid-November to early December. Chicks hatch from December to February. [[Brown Skua|Skuas]] are the primary predators of the bird's eggs and young. | ||
The total global population of this bird is around 140,000 individuals. | The total global population of this bird is around 140,000 individuals. | ||
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:* ''S. v. sanctipauli'' (Gould, 1865) – St. Paul & Amsterdam Islands. | :* ''S. v. sanctipauli'' (Gould, 1865) – St. Paul & Amsterdam Islands. | ||
:* ''S. v. georgiae'' (Reichenow, 1904) – South Georgia, South Orkney & South Sandwich Islands. | :* ''S. v. georgiae'' (Reichenow, 1904) – South Georgia, South Orkney & South Sandwich Islands. | ||
:* ''S. v. gaini'' (Murphy, 1938) – South Shetland Islands, Antarctic Peninsula & nearby islands. | :* ''S. v. gaini'' (Murphy, 1938) – South Shetland Islands, [[Antarctic Peninsula]] & nearby islands. | ||
:* ''S. v. vittata'' (Gmelin, 1789) – Prince Edward, Crozet, Kerguelen, Bouvet & Heard Islands. | :* ''S. v. vittata'' (Gmelin, 1789) – Prince Edward, Crozet, Kerguelen, Bouvet & Heard Islands. | ||
:* ''S. v. bethunei'' (Buller, 1896) – Stewart, Snares, Auckland, Bounty, Antipodes, Campbell & Macquarie Islands. | :* ''S. v. bethunei'' (Buller, 1896) – Stewart, Snares, Auckland, Bounty, Antipodes, Campbell & Macquarie Islands. | ||