י267) שחפית כהה

Sooty Tern
Sooty Tern




Sterna fuscata
Sterna fuscata
Sterna fuscata



:שחפית כהה
דומה לשחפית רסן אך גדולה וכהה ממנה, נראית שחורה בחלקי
. גופה העליון ולבנה בגחונה. זנבה מקודד מאוד
, נבדלת משחפית רסן בגבה הכהה יותר, בלי הצווארון הלבן
. הצבע הלבן במצחה אינו מגיע אל אחורי העין
, בית גידולה אזורים טרופיים בכל האוקינוסים
. (זו למעשה השחפית היחידה הניזונה מפלגיות זוהרות (מדוזה
. מקננת באיים חוליים וסלעיים או איי אלמוגים
. בארץ מבקרת קיץ אקראית נדירה בחוף אילת
... ואת השחף ... ויקרא י"א, 16
Subspecies and Distribution.
S. f. nubilosa S Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean E to Ryukyu Is and Philippines.
S. f. infuscata C Indonesia. S. f. serrata New Guinea, Australia and New Caledonia.
S. f. kermadeci Kermadec Is. S. f. oahuensis Bonin Is to Hawaii and S through Pacific.
S. f. cressalis islands off W Mexico and Central America Sto Galapagos. S. f. luctuosa Juan Fernandez Is. םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם םםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםםם
Descriptive notes.
Distinctive black and white tern, with long wings and long tail. 35-45 cm, 175 g, wingspan 80-95 cm.
Black above, sometimes with brownish cast, white below, and with white forehead with black line from bill to eye.
Deeply forked tail black, except for white outer rectrices. Underwing blackish grey, with contrasting white coverts. Bill and legs black, bill with tomia serrated. Iris dark brown.
Separated from S. anaethetus by darker and more uniform upperparts, lack of white eyebrow, and underwing pattern.
Races differ only slightly, nubilosahas pale grey tinge to belly and underwing-coverts. oahuensis and kermadeci are larger-billed.
Habitat.
Tropical and subtropical waters. Mainly productive waters rich in plankton and conducive to fish and squid abundance.
Breeds on oceanic and barrier islands of sand, coral or rock, including artificial islands.
Highly pelagic outside breeding season.
Food and Feeding.
Diet based on fish and squid, also crustaceans, sometimes insects and offal.
Feeds mainly by aerial-dipping or contact dipping. Occasionally by plunge-diving, flying-fish caught in air. Unable to swim and very rarely seen to rest on water, as becomes waterlogged.
Feeds at night on bathypelagic fish which come to surface only in darkness.
Breeding. Breeds all year round in some places, but seasonal in others. Normally large to huge colonies, occasionally single pairs colonize new areas. Most nest-sites flat, open sand, shell or coral with sparse vegetation, prefers vegetative cover where available usually selecting the tallest. Lays on bare areas, sometimes making sligh depression. 1 egg, incubation 28-30 days,
Chick buffy brown, sparsely and obscurely splotched dark brown. First breeding at 6-8 years.
Movements.
Adults from West Indies disperse into Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean where some winter. Juveniles cross Atlantic and move S down African coast.
Little information on Indian Ocean population, which probably disperses widely over Indian Ocean. Pacific adults disperse away from colony Jun-Oct and begin to return to area in late Nov, occupying colony in Feb, but not laying until Apr.
Status and Conservation.
Not globally threatened. One of most abundant seabirds, total world population probably exceeds 20.000.000 pairs.
Israel.
In Israel subspecies S. f. nubilosa. Accidental summer visitor at Gulf of Eilat.

S. f. nubilosa
(in Israel)

S. f. luctuosa

S. f. fuscata

f. serrata

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