Black Tern

Chlidonias niger

Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Laridae) · Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)

eBird · Birds of the World

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Often mixed up with

In quizzes, players most often confuse Black Tern with these birds— either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.

Species	Mix-ups
White-winged Black Tern Chlidonias leucopterus How to tell them apart	108
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida How to tell them apart	26
Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica How to tell them apart	15
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea How to tell them apart	14
Common Tern Sterna hirundo How to tell them apart	13

Family

Laridae is a family of seabirds in the order Charadriiformes that includes the gulls, terns (including white terns), noddies, and skimmers. It includes 105 species arranged into 23 genera. They are an adaptable group of mostly aerial birds found worldwide.

Order

Charadriiformes (, from Charadrius, the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic (seabirds), others frequent deserts, and a few are found in dense forest.

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