The Sooty Tern does not glide like an albatross, but is a graceful flier nonetheless, continuously flapping their wings.

  As it hovers over the surface of the ocean, it skims the water to drink water and catch fish.

  Nesting colonies are busy between February and September.

  Since the Sooty Tern often feeds at night, little is known about their lives away from land.  It is possible that when chicks take off for the first time, they will not set foot on land again until they are ready to breed, more than three years later.

  The adult Sooty Tern has a wingspan of 86-94 cm (34-37 in).

Sooty Tern Links

• US Fish and Wildlife Service page
  
  
• US Geological Survey page
  
  
• A personal page of the  original description and illustration of the Sooty Tern by James Audubon, from Birds of America

Photo by Monte Costa