Sooty Tern Feeding on Moths
Dinsmore JJ and Robertson WB. 1972. Sooty Tern Feeding on Moths. The Auk. 89(2):440
While banding Sooty Terns (Sterna fuscata) at Bush Key, Dry Tortugas, Florida on June 28, 1970, an adult tern regurgitated two moths 1.5 to 2 cm long together with several unidentified fish. The moths were identified to the family Noctuidae. Although the food of Sooty Terns at the Dry Tortugas has not been studied in detail, sizable collections of food regurgitated show that this population feeds on fish and squid. In 13 years of tern banding, this is the first time an insect has been found as part of the Sooty Tern's diet.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Dinsmore, James; Robertson, William
- Units
- DRTO
- Keywords
- Animal Behavior, Animal Studies, Bush Key Dry Tortugas National Park FL, Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera), Diet, sooty tern (Sterna fuscata)