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Sooty Tern Sterna fuscata
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 | 175 g |
Distribution
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence breeding/resident (km2) | 120,000 | |
| Extent of Occurrence non-breeding (km2) | 173,000,000 | |
| Number of locations | - | |
| Fragmentation | - |
Population & trend
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. of mature individuals | poor | Estimated | 2009 | |
| Population trend | Unknown | - | ||
| Number of subpopulations | - | - | - | |
| Largest subpopulation | - | - | - | |
| Generation length (yrs) | 10.9 | - | - | - |
| Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.21,000,000-22,000,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2006), while the population in Japan has been estimated at < c.100,000 breeding pairs and < c.1,000 individuals on migration (Brazil 2009). | ||||
| Trend justification: The overall population trend is uncertain, as some populations are decreasing, while others are increasing or have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2006). | ||||
Country/Territory distribution
| Country/Territory | Occurrence status | Extinct | Breeding | Non-breeding | Passage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Angola | Unknown | No | |||
| Anguilla (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Antigua and Barbuda | Native | No | |||
| Argentina | Native | No | |||
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Australia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Bahamas | Native | No | |||
| Bahrain | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Bangladesh | Unknown | No | |||
| Barbados | Native | No | |||
| Belgium | Vagrant | No | |||
| Belize | Native | No | |||
| Benin | Unknown | No | |||
| Bermuda (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Brazil | Native | No | |||
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Cambodia | Unknown | No | |||
| Cameroon | Native | No | |||
| Canada | Native | No | |||
| Cape Verde | Vagrant | No | |||
| Cayman Islands (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Côte d'Ivoire | Vagrant | No | |||
| Chile | Native | No | |||
| China (mainland) | Native | No | |||
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands (to Australia) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Colombia | Native | No | |||
| Comoros | Native | No | |||
| Congo | Unknown | No | |||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | Unknown | No | |||
| Cook Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Costa Rica | Native | No | |||
| Cuba | Native | No | |||
| Curaçao (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Denmark | Vagrant | No | |||
| Djibouti | Native | No | |||
| Dominica | Native | No | |||
| Dominican Republic | Native | No | |||
| Ecuador | Native | No | |||
| El Salvador | Native | No | |||
| Equatorial Guinea | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Eritrea | Vagrant | No | |||
| Fiji | Native | No | |||
| France | Vagrant | No | |||
| French Guiana | Native | No | |||
| French Polynesia | Native | No | Yes | ||
| French Southern Territories | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Gabon | Unknown | No | |||
| Gambia | Unknown | No | |||
| Germany | Vagrant | No | |||
| Ghana | Vagrant | No | |||
| Grenada | Native | No | |||
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guam (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Guatemala | Native | No | |||
| Guinea | Unknown | No | |||
| Guinea-Bissau | Unknown | No | |||
| Guyana | Native | No | |||
| Haiti | Native | No | |||
| Honduras | Native | No | |||
| Hong Kong (China) | Vagrant | No | |||
| Iceland | Vagrant | No | |||
| India | Native | No | |||
| Indonesia | Native | No | |||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Iraq | Unknown | No | |||
| Israel | Vagrant | No | |||
| Italy | Vagrant | No | |||
| Jamaica | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Japan | Native | No | |||
| Kenya | Native | No | |||
| Kiribati | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Kuwait | Unknown | No | |||
| Liberia | Native | No | |||
| Madagascar | Native | No | |||
| Malawi | Vagrant | No | |||
| Malaysia | Native | No | |||
| Maldives | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Marshall Islands | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Martinique (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mauritania | Native | No | |||
| Mauritius | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Mayotte (to France) | Native | No | |||
| Mexico | Native | No | |||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | Native | No | |||
| Montserrat (to UK) | Native | No | |||
| Mozambique | Native | No | |||
| Myanmar | Native | No | |||
| Namibia | Unknown | No | |||
| Nauru | Native | No | Yes | ||
| New Caledonia (to France) | Native | No | |||
| New Zealand | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Nicaragua | Native | No | |||
| Nigeria | Native | No | |||
| Niue (to New Zealand) | Unknown | No | |||
| Norfolk Island (to Australia) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Norway | Vagrant | No | |||
| Oman | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Pakistan | Unknown | No | |||
| Palau | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Panama | Native | No | |||
| Papua New Guinea | Native | No | |||
| Peru | Native | No | |||
| Philippines | Native | No | |||
| Pitcairn Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Portugal | Vagrant | No | |||
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Native | No | |||
| Réunion (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Samoa | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Saudi Arabia | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| São Tomé e Príncipe | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Senegal | Native | No | |||
| Seychelles | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Sierra Leone | Vagrant | No | |||
| Singapore | Unknown | No | |||
| Sint Maarten (to Netherlands) | Native | No | |||
| Solomon Islands | Native | No | |||
| Somalia | Native | No | |||
| South Africa | Native | No | |||
| South Korea | Native | No | |||
| Spain | Vagrant | No | |||
| Sri Lanka | Native | No | |||
| St Helena (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| St Kitts and Nevis | Native | No | |||
| St Lucia | Native | No | |||
| St Martin (to France) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Native | No | |||
| Sudan | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| Suriname | Native | No | |||
| Swaziland | Vagrant | No | |||
| Sweden | Vagrant | No | |||
| Taiwan (China) | Native | No | |||
| Tanzania | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Thailand | Native | No | |||
| Timor-Leste | Unknown | No | |||
| Togo | Unknown | No | |||
| Tokelau (to New Zealand) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tonga | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Native | No | |||
| Tunisia | Vagrant | No | |||
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Tuvalu | Native | No | Yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | Vagrant | No | Yes | ||
| United Kingdom | Vagrant | No | |||
| United States Minor Outlying Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| USA | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Vanuatu | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Venezuela | Native | No | |||
| Vietnam | Native | No | |||
| Virgin Islands (to UK) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Wallis and Futuna Islands (to France) | Unknown | No | |||
| Yemen | Native | No | Yes | ||
| Zimbabwe | Vagrant | No |
Important Bird Areas where this species has triggered the IBA criteria
| Country/Territory | IBA Name | IBA link |
|---|---|---|
| Anguilla (to UK) | Dog Island |  |
| Aruba (to Netherlands) | San Nicolas Bay Reef Islands | |
| Australia | Cato Island (Coral Sea) | |
| Bahamas | Cay Sal | |
| Bahamas | North Atlantic Abaco Cays | |
| Brazil | Atol das Rocas | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Ile Longue, Peros Banhos | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Ile Parasol, Peros Banhos | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Middle Brother, Chagos Bank | |
| Chile | Isla Rapa Nui | |
| Chile | Isla Sala y Gómez | |
| Chile | Islas Desventuradas | |
| Dominican Republic | Jaragua National Park | |
| French Polynesia | Ilots rocheux de Ua Huka | |
| French Polynesia | Ilots rocheux de Ua Pou | |
| French Southern Territories | Europa | |
| French Southern Territories | Ile du Lys, Glorieuses Archipelago | |
| French Southern Territories | Juan de Nova | |
| Guadeloupe (to France) | Islet of Tête à l’Anglais | |
| Jamaica | Morant Cays and Bank | |
| Jamaica | Pedro Cays and Bank | |
| Martinique (to France) | Îlets et falaises de Sainte Anne | |
| Mauritius | Cargados Carajos shoals (Saint Brandon) | |
| Mauritius | Serpent Island | |
| New Caledonia (to France) | Îles des récifs Bampton et Chesterfield | |
| New Zealand | Kermadec Islands | |
| Puerto Rico (to USA) | Culebra | |
| São Tomé e Príncipe | Tinhosas islands | |
| Seychelles | African Banks | |
| Seychelles | Aride island | |
| Seychelles | Bird Island | |
| Seychelles | Cosmoledo atoll | |
| Seychelles | Desnoeufs island | |
| Seychelles | Islets of Farquhar atoll | |
| St Helena (to UK) | Ascension Island: mainland and stacks | |
| St Lucia | Point Sables | |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines | Petit Canouan | |
| Tanzania | Latham Island | |
| Turks and Caicos Islands (to UK) | Turks Bank Seabird Cays | |
| USA | Northwestern Hawaiian Islands | |
| Venezuela | Refugio de Fauna Silvestre Isla de Aves | |
| Venezuela | Wildlife Refuge Bird Island - Marine | |
| Virgin Islands (to USA) | Saba Island and Cays | |
Habitats & altitude
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | Sea Cliffs and Rocky Offshore Islands | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Rocky Shoreline | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Sandy Shoreline and/or Beaches, Sand Bars, Spits, Etc | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Shingle and/or Pebble Shoreline and/or Beaches | major | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Tidepools | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Macroalgal/Kelp | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | major | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Pelagic | major | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Seagrass (Submerged) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Loose Rock/pebble/gravel | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Rock and Rocky Reefs | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Neritic | Subtidal Sandy-Mud | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | major | breeding |
| Marine Oceanic | Epipelagic (0-200m) | major | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 50 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 fuscata. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2013) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013.
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 | Linnaeus, 1766 |
| Population size | mature individuals |
| Population trend | Unknown |
| Distribution size (breeding/resident) | 120,000 km2 |
| Country endemic? | No |
| Links to further information | |
|
- Summary information on this species - Climate change species distributions | |
|
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