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closeIUCN Red List history
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2012 | Least Concern |
| 2009 | Least Concern |
| 2008 | Least Concern |
| 2004 | Least Concern |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
Species attributes
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | Does not normally occur in forest |
| Land mass type | Average mass | - |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 1,820,000 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 25,700,000 | medium |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Stable | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 11 | - | - | - |
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is stable, although some populations have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Native | No | |||
| Australia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Austria | Vagrant | No | |||
| Bahrain | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bangladesh | Native | No | |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Native | No | |||
| Brunei | Native | No | |||
| Cambodia | Vagrant | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | |||
| Comoros | Native | No | |||
| Djibouti | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Egypt | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Eritrea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| France | Vagrant | No | |||
| French Southern Territories | Unknown | No | |||
| Gambia | Native | No | |||
| Ghana | Vagrant | No | |||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Greece | Vagrant | No | |||
| Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Native | No | |||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Indonesia | Native | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | |||
| Iraq | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Israel | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Italy | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Jordan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kuwait | Native | No | |||
| Lebanon | Native | Yes | Yes | ||
| Libya | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Madagascar | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Malaysia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Maldives | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mauritius | Native | No | |||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Morocco | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Netherlands | Vagrant | No | |||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Pakistan | Native | No | |||
| Palestinian Authority Territories | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Papua New Guinea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Philippines | Unknown | No | |||
| Qatar | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Réunion (to France) | Unknown | No | |||
| Saudi Arabia | Native | No | |||
| Senegal | Vagrant | No | |||
| Seychelles | Native | No | |||
| Singapore | Native | No | |||
| Solomon Islands | Unknown | No | |||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | |||
| Spain | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Switzerland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Tanzania | Native | No | |||
| Thailand | Native | No | |||
| Timor-Leste | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tunisia | Native | No | |||
| Turkey | Vagrant | No | |||
| Uganda | Vagrant | No | |||
| United Arab Emirates | Native | No | |||
| United Kingdom | Vagrant | No | |||
| Vietnam | Unknown | No | |||
| Western Sahara | Unknown | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | Yes |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Brook Islands |  |
| Australia | Cape York to Cape Grenville Islands | |
| Australia | Islands North of Port Stewart | |
| Australia | Michaelmas Cay | |
| Australia | South Barnard Islands | |
| Australia | Stapleton Island | |
| Australia | Sudbury Reef | |
| Djibouti | Les Sept Frères | |
| Egypt | Hurghada archipelago | |
| Eritrea | Dehalak Archipelago and offshore islands | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Kharku Wildlife Refuge | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Nakhilu, Morghu and Ummal Karam islands | |
| Kenya | Sabaki River Mouth | |
| Kenya | Tana River Delta | |
| Libya | Geziret al Elba - Ayn al Ghazalah Bay | |
| Libya | Geziret Garah | |
| Madagascar | Ambavanankarana wetlands | |
| Madagascar | Baly Bay National Park | |
| Madagascar | Cape Anorontany archipelago | |
| Madagascar | Mahavavy Kinkony Wetland | |
| Madagascar | Sahamalaza-Iles Radama (Sahamalaza Bay wetlands IBA) | |
| Madagascar | Southwestern Coastal Wetlands and Nosy Manitse | |
| Madagascar | Tambohorano wetland Complex | |
| Madagascar | Wetlands of the Tsiribihina delta and upper Tsiribihina river | |
| Malaysia | North-central Selangor coast | |
| Morocco | Sebkha Bou Areg | |
| Mozambique | Bazaruto Archipelago | |
| Oman | Barr al Hikman | |
| Saudi Arabia | Abu Ali | |
| Saudi Arabia | Gulf coral islands | |
| Saudi Arabia | Gulf of Salwah | |
| Sudan | Mukawwar island and Dunganab bay | |
| Sudan | Suakin archipelago | |
| Tanzania | Dar es Salaam coast | |
| Tanzania | Rufiji Delta | |
| Thailand | Na Muang Krabi | |
| United Arab Emirates | Qarnayn island | |
| Yemen | Islands north of Al-Hudaydah | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Estuaries | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 0 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Sterna bengalensis. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013.
This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000) Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004) Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
To contribute to discussions on the evaluation of the IUCN Red List status of Globally Threatened Birds, please visit BirdLife's Globally Threatened Bird Forums.
| Key facts | |
|---|---|
| Current IUCN Red List category | Least Concern |
| Family | Laridae (Gulls and terns) |
| Species name author | Lesson, 1831 |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Stable |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 1,820,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
|
- Summary information on this species - Climate change species distributions | |
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