Gull-billed Tern at the Ponds

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Alice Springs Waste Stabilisation Ponds

The Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica), formerly Sterna nilotica, is a medium-sized tern, with pale to grey upperpart plumage, white underparts, a thick black bill and black legs. During breeding they have a black cap, whilst non-breeding plumage display is dark cheek patch, through the eye. The juvenile Gull-billed Tern have a fainter mask, and the colour of the non-breeding plumage of the adult.

The Gull-billed Tern are usually found in marsh type habitats, near the coast but not on the ocean, though they have been seen on beaches and mudflats. They are usually seen as single or in pairs. They feeds on invertebrates and crabs, often patrolling the edges of ponds.

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• Scientific classification
• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Subphylum: Vertebrata
• Informal: Gnathostomata
• Class: Aves
• Order: Charadriiformes
• Family: Laridae
• Subfamily: Sterninae
• Tribe: Sternini
• Genus: Gelochelidon
• Species: Gelochelidon nilotica

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