A Synopsis of the Birds of North America

by John James Audubon

Sandwich Tern. Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 276.

Sandwich Tern, Sterna cantiaca, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 531.

432. 4. Sterna fuliginosa, Lath. Sooty Tern.

Plate CCXXXV.

Bill slightly longer than the head, rather slender, and with the feet black; tail very deeply forked, much longer than the wings; forehead white; lores, upper part of head, hind neck, and all the upper parts deep black, tinged with brown, on the head glossed with blue; edges of wings and lateral tail-feathers white, the latter with the inner web toward the end dusky; lower parts and sides of head and neck pure white. Young with the lower parts and forehead white, the upper parts greyish-brown, the feathers edged with brownish-white, the primary quills greyish-black.

Male, 16¹/₄, 34³/₄.

From Texas to the Floridas, in spring. Breeds in immense multitudes on the Tortugas. Migratory.

Sterna fuliginosa, Bonap. Syn. p. 355.

Sooty Tern, Sterna fuliginosa, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 145.

Sooty Tern, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 284.

Sooty Tern, Sterna fuliginosa, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 263; v. v. p. 641.

433. 5. Sterna Hirundo, Linn. Common Tern.

Plate CCCIX. Male.