Hybridisation in terns explained

Hybridisation in terns is not as frequent as in gulls; however, some mixed pairings have been noted.

Marsh terns

Hybridisation between white-winged black tern and black tern has been recorded from Sweden^[1] and the Netherlands.^[2] Two juvenile birds at Chew Valley Lake, England, in September 1978 and September 1981, were also believed to be hybrids; they showed mixed characteristics of the two species, specifically a combination of a dark mantle (a feature of white-winged black) with dark patches on the breast-side (a feature of black tern, not shown by white-winged black).^{[3] [4]}

See also

• Hybridisation in gulls

Notes and References

1. Alexandersson, H. (1979) En hybridisering mellan vitvingad tärna Childonias leucopterus och svarttärna Childonias niger på Öland 1978 Calidris 8: 151-53
2. Van IJzendoorn, E. J. (1980) Broedgeval van Zwarte Childonias niger × Witvleugelstern C. leucopterus Dutch Birding 2: 62-65
3. [Vinicombe, Keith]
4. Davis, A. H. (1982) Tern showing mixed characters of Black and White-winged Black Tern British Birds 75(12): 579-80