Cabot's tern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cabot's tern |
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| A Cabot's tern in Florida, not in its breeding colors. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Thalasseus
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| Species: |
acuflavidus
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| Synonyms | |
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Thalasseus sandvicensis acuflavidus
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The Cabot's tern (Thalasseus acuflavidus) is a type of tern bird. It belongs to the family Laridae, which includes gulls and other seabirds. This bird was once thought to be a subspecies of the Sandwich tern. However, scientists later found that it is actually more closely related to the elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans).
The name Thalasseus comes from Ancient Greece. It means "fisherman" and comes from the word thalassa, meaning "sea." This makes sense because terns are great at catching fish! The second part of its scientific name, acuflavida, comes from Latin. Acus means "needle," and flavidus means "yellowish." This might refer to its thin, yellowish-orange bill.
Some scientists, like the IOC (International Ornithological Congress), think the Cabot's tern is its own unique species. But other groups, including the AOU (American Ornithological Union), still consider it to be the same species as the Sandwich tern.
There's also a bird called the Cayenne tern (T. eurygnatha). It breeds along the Atlantic coast of South America, from Argentina up to the Caribbean. Sometimes, it mixes with the Cabot's tern in the northern parts of its home. DNA tests have shown that the Cayenne tern is a bit different from the Cabot's tern. However, the differences are not big enough to say for sure that it is a completely separate species.
Where do Cabot's Terns Live?
Cabot's terns live in many parts of the Americas. They can be found across a wide area.
There are two main types, or subspecies, of the Cabot's tern:
- T. a. acuflavidus (named by Cabot in 1847) – This type lives in eastern North America and down to the southern Caribbean Sea.
- T. a. eurygnathus (named by Saunders in 1876) – This type is also known as the Cayenne tern. It lives on islands near Venezuela and the Guianas, as well as in northern and eastern South America.
Gallery
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A Cabot's tern in North Carolina.
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A Cabot's tern south of Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.
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An illustration of a Cabot's tern from a bird guide.
See also
In Spanish: Gaviotín patinegro americano para niños
