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Great Crested Tern Sterna bergii
IUCN 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) | 42,300,000 | 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) | 10.5 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.150,000-1,100,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2006), while national population estimates include: c.100-10,000 breeding pairs and c.50-1,000 individuals on migration in China; c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in Taiwan and c.100-10,000 breeding pairs and c.50-1,000 individuals on migration in Japan (Brazil 2009). | ||||
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bahrain | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Bangladesh | Native | No | |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Native | No | |||
| Brunei | Native | No | |||
| Cambodia | Native | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | |||
| Cook Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Djibouti | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Egypt | Native | No | |||
| Eritrea | Native | No | |||
| Fiji | Native | No | Yes | ||
| French Polynesia | Native | No | |||
| Guam (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Indonesia | Native | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | |||
| Iraq | Native | No | |||
| Israel | Native | No | |||
| Japan | Native | No | |||
| Jordan | Vagrant | No | |||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kiribati | Native | No | |||
| Kuwait | Native | No | |||
| Madagascar | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Malaysia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Maldives | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Marshall Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mauritius | Native | No | |||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Namibia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Nauru | Vagrant | No | |||
| New Caledonia (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| New Zealand | Vagrant | No | |||
| North Korea | Vagrant | No | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Pakistan | Native | No | |||
| Palau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Papua New Guinea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Philippines | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Qatar | Native | No | Yes | Yes | |
| Saudi Arabia | Native | No | |||
| Seychelles | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Singapore | Native | No | |||
| Solomon Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Taiwan (China) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tanzania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Thailand | Native | No | |||
| Timor-Leste | Native | No | |||
| Tonga | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tuvalu | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | Native | No | |||
| USA | Vagrant | No | |||
| Vanuatu | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Vietnam | Native | No | |||
| Wallis and Futuna Islands (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | Yes |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Bountiful Islands |  |
| Australia | Lowendal Islands | |
| Australia | Michaelmas Cay | |
| Australia | Pearce, Urquhart and Hervey Islands (Sir Edward Pellew Group) | |
| Australia | Seagull Island (Tiwi Islands) | |
| China (mainland) | Beiji Islands | |
| China (mainland) | Jiushan Islands Nature Reserve | |
| China (mainland) | Taizhou Islands | |
| China (mainland) | Yushan Islands | |
| Djibouti | Les Sept Frères | |
| India | Baliapannium Islands | |
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Bahu Kalat (Gandu) Protected Area | |
| Japan | Nishinoshima islet | |
| Japan | Senkaku islands | |
| Madagascar | Cape Anorontany archipelago | |
| Madagascar | Southwestern Coastal Wetlands and Nosy Manitse | |
| Malaysia | Kinabatangan floodplain | |
| Malaysia | Pulau Layang-Layang | |
| Namibia | Cape Cross lagoon | |
| Namibia | Lüderitz Bay islands | |
| Namibia | Sandwich Harbour | |
| Namibia | Sperrgebiet | |
| Namibia | Walvis Bay | |
| Oman | Al Batinah coast | |
| Oman | Barr al Hikman | |
| Oman | Duqm | |
| Oman | Halaaniyaat Islands | |
| Oman | Khawr ad Dahariz | |
| Oman | Khawr Hassan | |
| Oman | Masirah island | |
| Oman | Ras al Hadd | |
| Philippines | Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park | |
| Saudi Arabia | Gulf coral islands | |
| Seychelles | Cosmoledo atoll | |
| Singapore | Kranji | |
| Singapore | North-East Conservation Area | |
| South Africa | Dassen Island | |
| South Africa | Dyer Island Nature Reserve | |
| South Africa | False Bay Park (proposed) | |
| South Africa | Lower Berg river wetlands | |
| South Africa | Robben Island National Historical Monument | |
| South Africa | West Coast National Park and Saldanha Bay islands | |
| Sudan | Suakin archipelago | |
| Taiwan (China) | Matsu (Mazu) Islands Tern Refuge | |
| Taiwan (China) | Northeastern Sea Islets | |
| Taiwan (China) | Southern Sea Islets | |
| Tanzania | Latham Island | |
| Yemen | Abdullah Gharib lagoons | |
| Yemen | Aden | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Salt Exploitation Sites | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Salt Exploitation Sites | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Wastewater Treatment Areas | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Wastewater Treatment Areas | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | major | breeding |
| 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 | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | major | breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 0 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
Utilisation
| Purpose | Primary form used | Life stage used | Source | Scale | Level | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food (human) | Whole | Eggs | Wild | Subsistence, National | Non-trivial | Recent |
| Pets | Whole | Adults and juveniles | Wild | International | Non-trivial | Recent |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Sterna bergii. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013.
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 | Lichtenstein, 1823 |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Stable |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 42,300,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
|
- Summary information on this species - Climate change species distributions | |
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