Order: Charadriiformes | Family: Laridae | IUCN Status: Least Concern
Age: Adult, basic | Sex: Unknown | Loc. No Data
Age: Adult, alternate | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America
Age: Adult, alternate | Sex: Unknown | Loc. North America
Age: Adult, basic | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Paracas, Ica
Identification & Behavior: ~39.5 cm (15.5 in). The Sandwich Tern in basic plumage has a white forehead and black rest of the cap. In alternate plumage, it has a solid black cap that projects towards the nape area. In both plumages, the bill is black with a distinctive yellow tip. The bill of the Snowy-crowned Tern (vagrant in Peru) in basic plumage is similar to that of a Sandwich Tern, but the Sandwich tern has black on top of head versus white in Snowy-crowned Tern.
Status: The Sandwich Tern is an uncommon to rare Boreal migrant to the coast of Peru. It also occurs in Co, Ec, Br, and Ch.
Name in Spanish: Gaviotín de Pata Negra.
Sub-species: Sandwich Tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis acuflavidus), S. Cabot 1847.
Meaning of Name: Thalasseus: Gr. Thalasseus, Thalassa= sea fisherman. sandvicensis: after the town of Sandwich, Kent, England.
See more of the Family Laridae 
Distribution Map
Voice
VoiceReferences:
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- Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo). The Field Museum. http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 01/01/2015.