Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii   [Montagu, 1813]

Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links

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Order: Charadriiformes Family: Sternidae
BTO Codes: RS, ROSTE EURING No: 6140
Number in Britain: 94 pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: RED
European: 3 Concern, most not in Europe; Rare
Global: Least Concern ( Details )
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  
Status in UK: (A)  Migrant Breeder, Passage Visitor
Subspecies: recorded in Britain (of 5 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 36 cm Wingspan: 76 cm Weight: M/F: 110 g    
Scientific name from: Old English: stearn=a tern and after Peter Dougall (1777-1814) Scottish physician and collector
World Distribution: BREEDS: Locally in Europe, s Asia, Africa & e North America, WINTERS: at sea Africa, s Asia, s South America
Habitat: Sandy seacoasts, in winter pelagic
Diet: Fish, mostly plunge-diving

Population and Distribution

Population Trend: JNCC Seabird Monitoring Programme
Distribution: No distribution maps available
British Population Size:
    Summer: 94 pairs in 2005-09
    First Record: 1813
    Latest Survey: Holling, M. & RBBP (2011) British Birds 104:476-537
    Conservation Status: RED because Recent Breeding Population Decline,
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 RED     1996-2001 RED  
   Races of Concern:
UK Biodiversity Action Plan (Lead Partner: RSPB)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
    Summer: 1800 to 2 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
European Species Action Plan
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WCA(I), WBD(I), Bern(III), Bonn(II), AEWA
Survey Results: BirdTrack
Seabird 2000 (warning: link to large pdf)

Breeding and Survival

Egg Size: 43 x 30 mm Egg Weight: 20.4 g (of which 6 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 35
Clutch Size: 1 - 2 eggs
Incubation: 21- 26 days   by the: Female (occ. Male)
Fledging: 22 - 30days as: Semi-precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: 29 May (15 May - 12 Jun)
Number of Broods: 1
Number Ringed: 796 (Annual Totals)
Adult Survival: 0.855 ± 0.047       
Juvenile Survival: No data
Age at First Breeding: 2 years Typical Lifespan: 8 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 23 years 10 months 8 days (set in 2004)
Summary of Ringing Recoveries       

Biometrics

Ring Size: C2
Wing Length Adult: Insufficient Data
Juvenile: Insufficient Data
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: Insufficient Data
Juvenile: Insufficient Data
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data

Other Names

 
Gaelic: Steàrnag-stiùireach Welsh: Morwennol Wridog
Danish: Dougallsterne Dutch: Dougalls stern
Finnish: Ruusutiira French: Sterne de Dougall
German: Rosenseeschwalbe Hungarian: Rózsás csér
Icelandic: Roðaþerna Irish: Geabhróg Ríoga
Italian: Sterna di Dougall Norwegian: Rosenterne
Polish: Rybitwa rózowa Portuguese: Andorinha-do-mar-rósea
Spanish: Charrán rosado Swedish: Rosentärna

For More Information...

Books and Monographs:
   Marples, G. & Marples, A. 1934 The sea terns or sea swallows Country Life Books, London [598.616 MAR]
See Also:
Find scientific papers on Google Scholar or Scirus by clicking the icon
Wikipedia entry
BirdLife species page
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead