The Sooty Tern is one of the most abundant seabirds in the world but is highly oceanic, spending years at sea without landing — it cannot waterproof its feathers and must remain airborne when over ocean. It breeds in enormous colonies on tropical islands, including the Dry Tortugas in Florida. The black back and white underparts with a white forehead are distinctive.
Habitat
Tropical oceans; breeds on the Dry Tortugas and other tropical islands
Diet
Fish and squid caught by snatching from the water surface without diving
How common
Uncommon
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