Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Spectacled Tern
Onychoprion lunatus
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The spectacled tern (Onychoprion lunatus), also known as the grey-backed tern, is a seabird in the family Laridae.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds islets of tropical Pacific from Marianas and Samoa eastward to main Hawaiian Islands; ranges to northeastern Melanesia and far eastern Polynesia.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Spectacled tern
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
