Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Saunders’s Tern
Sternula saundersi
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
Saunders's tern (Sternula saundersi), sometimes known as the black-shafted tern, is a species of bird in the family Laridae.
It is sparsely resident along the shores of the north-western Indian Ocean (namely southern Somalia, Arabian Peninsula, Socotra, Pakistan, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and northern Sri Lanka).
It is a close relative of the little tern, least tern, yellow-billed tern, and Peruvian tern. In non-breeding plumages, the Saunder's tern and the little tern may be almost indistinguishable.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds Red Sea and Persian Gulf to islands between India and Sri Lanka; apparently winters mainly Seychelles to Maldives and Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Saunders's 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.
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