White-winged Black Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Introduction

Distinctive in breeding plumage, this marsh tern is harder to pick out in its plainer non-breeding plumage. White-winged Black Tern is a scarce visitor to Britain & Ireland, with a handful of records every year, mostly between May and September.

Key Stats

Status

Rare

Weight

62.5g

Seasonality

<1%

BTO Records

4.1k records

Population and distribution stats for:

No data

No current data

No current data

No data

No current data

No current data

Status and Trends

Population size, trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO and partnership surveys and atlasses with data collected by BTO volunteers.

Conservation Status

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This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

Species of European Conservation Concern

Least Concern

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)

Least Concern

Schedule 1 Licence required (to disturb)*

Birds Directive Annex 1

* A guide only. Check details with the original legislation, especially those marked with an asterisk. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Size

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UK (passage)

8 individuals (2021)

Source

BOU Category

Source

First Record*

Norfolk, 1853 (Dublin, 1841)

* First documented occurrence. Most species undoubtedly occurred before this. See About Birdfacts for more information.

Population Change

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Population trends of this scarce species are not routinely monitored.

Distribution

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This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.

Bird Atlas distribution maps show where bird species breed or winter in Britain and Ireland. For breeding maps, larger dots indicate higher certainty the species bred in that area.

Breeding Distribution for White-winged Black Tern

Click the map to enlarge,
or view it on Bird Atlas Mapstore.

To view and download up-to-date distribution information aggregated from across BTO and partnership surveys and schemes, see our data holdings on the NBN Atlas.

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Distribution Change

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This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.

Seasonality

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White-winged Black Tern is a rare late-spring/summer overshoot migrant and autumn vagrant.

Weekly pattern of occurrence

The graph shows when the species is present in the UK, with taller bars indicating a higher likelihood of encountering the species in appropriate regions and habitats.

Phenology graph — Weekly occurrence patterns (shaded cells and reporting rates (vertical bars) based on BirdTrack data. Reporting rates give the likelihood of encountering the species each week.

Movement

Information about White-winged Black Tern movements and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.

Britain & Ireland movement

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View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report

European movements

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EuroBirdPortal uses birdwatcher's records, such as those logged in BirdTrack to map the flows of birds as they arrive and depart Europe. See maps for this species here.

Biology

Lifecycle and body size information for White-winged Black Tern, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.

Survival and Longevity

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Survival is shown as the proportion of birds surviving from one year to the next and is derived from bird ringing data. It can also be used to estimate how long birds typically live.

Classification, names and codes

Taxonomy, names and species codes for White-winged Black Tern

Classification and Codes

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Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Scientific name: Chlidonias leucopterus
Authority: Temminck, 1815

BTO 2-letter code: WJ
BTO 5-letter code: WWBTE
Euring code number: 6280

Alternate species names

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Catalan: fumarell alablanc
Czech: rybák belokrídlý
Danish: Hvidvinget Terne
Dutch: Witvleugelstern
Estonian: valgetiib-viires
Finnish: valkosiipitiira
French: Guifette leucoptère
Gaelic: Steàrnag-bhreac

German: Weißflügel-Seeschwalbe
Hungarian: fehérszárnyú szerko
Icelandic: Tígulþerna
Irish: Geabhróg Bháneiteach
Italian: Mignattino alibianche
Latvian: baltsparnu zirinš
Lithuanian: baltasparne žuvedra
Norwegian: Hvitvingesvartterne

Polish: rybitwa bialoskrzydla
Portuguese: trinta-réis-negro-de-asa-branca / gaivina-d'asa-branca
Slovak: corík bielokrídly
Slovenian: beloperuta cigra
Spanish: Fumarel aliblanco
Swedish: vitvingad tärna
Welsh: Corswennol Adeinwen

More Evidence

More evidence from Conservation Evidence.com

Partners

Birdfacts is based on data collected by volunteers participating in surveys that are organised and funded by BTO, RSPB, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, JNCC and other partners.

BTO

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation

JNCC

RSPB

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