Sooty tern behavior
Dinsmore JJ. 1972. Sooty tern behavior. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum Biological Science. 16(3):129-179
A four year study of the breeding behavior of sooty terns (Sterna fuscata) was made at Bush Key, Dry Tortugas in the southeastern Gulf of Mexico. The results are compared with the behavior of other terns and the differences discussed, particularly in regard to the pelagic environment the Sooty Tern inhabits. Sooty Terns have a lower clutch size, longer period of development of the chick, and first breed when older than most other terns, many of which feed in marshes and coastal waters. These characteristics of Sooty Tern breeding biology are similar to those of many other pelagic birds. A distant food supply and high adult survivorship apparently have contributed to these differences from other terns.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Dinsmore, James
- Units
- DRTO
- Keywords
- Animal Studies, Breeding, Nests & Nesting, pelagic, sooty tern (Sterna fuscata), terns (Sterninae)