(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species tern, sandwich
Species Id M040188
Date 26 AUG 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - tern, sandwich
OTHER COMMON NAMES - Cabot's tern
ELEMENT CODE - 03/29/84
AOU CODE - 06/04/85
03/30/88
CATEGORY - Birds
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - Chordata, Vertebrata
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - Aves, Neornithes
ORDER AND SUBORDER - Charadriiformes,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - Laridae, Sterninae
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - Sterna, Thalasseus
SPECIES AND SSP - sandvicensis, acuflavidus
SCIENTIFIC NAME - Sterna sandvicensis acuflavidus
AUTHORITY - Cabot
TAXONOMY REFERENCES - 404, 406 and 575
COMMENTS ON TAXONOMY -
Superorder=Neognathae *404*; Bent called this species
Cabot's tern *1168*
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species tern, sandwich
Species Id M040188
Date 26 AUG 96
STATUS
Coded Status
Federal Migratory
See Comments
Threatened throughout range critically state endangere
Existing, FMP exists
REFERENCES FOR STATUS - 4447
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
Established breeder in Virginia, but counts have been
irregular in last few years *2407* Uncommon summer resident on coast;
uncommon to rare post breeding summer visitor to lower Chesapeake Bay.
*8511*
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Distribution
Species tern, sandwich
Species Id M040188
Date 26 AUG 96
DISTRIBUTION
References on County Occurrence - 001, 131, 810 and 115
References on Seasonal Occurrence - Nesting only found on Eastern Shore barrier islands *700*;
uncommon summer resident on coast *700*; uncommon postbreeding summer
visitor to Lower Chesapeake Bay *700*; peak counts: 30 pairs, Fisherman
Island, July 1973; 111, Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, 02 September 1978
*700*
References on County Abundance - 001, 131 and 810
REFERENCES FOR HYDROLOGIC UNIT CODES - 001, 131, 810 and 115
OTHER DISTRIBUTION
REFERENCES FOR OTHER DISTRIBUTION - A
Comments on Distribution -
Uncommon summer resident on coast; uncommon to rare postbreeding summer
visitor to lower Bay area. No records away from coast.*8511*
Distribution - 1 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
LAND USE -
Barren Land
Beaches
REFERENCES FOR LAND USE - 2407, 1168 and 700
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Marine, intertidal BB2 P
REFERENCES FOR NWI - 2407 and 1168
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
Increasing numbers of the outer barrier island
beach-nesting terns are turning to dredge spoil islands as breeding
sites *2407*
COMMENTS ON SPECIES ASSOCIATIONS -
Sandwich terns closely associate with royal terns in
large breeding colonies *1168,450*; with sandwich terns in the minority
forming their own groups *1168*; this preference may be a limiting
factor in the distribution of sandwich terns *2407,450*; chicks of
sandwich terns and royal terns form a common creche or group that acts
as an antipredation device *450*; the numbers and noise level of an
active royal and sandwich tern colony probably intimitidate avian egg-
predators and lead to the success of large colonies of these terns
*450*
POTENTIAL NATURAL VEGETATION -
065 Northern Cordgrass Prairie (Distichlis-Spartina)
101 Oak - Hickory - Pine Forest (Quercus-Carya-Pinus)
103 Southern Floodplain Forest (Quercus-Nyssa-Taxodium)
REFERENCES FOR PNV - 700
ECOREGION -
Southeastern Mixed Forest: Flat Plains
REFERENCES FOR ECOREGION - 700
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species tern, sandwich
Species Id M040188
Date 26 AUG 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
Carnivore
REFERENCES FOR TROPHIC LEVEL - 1168
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Squid, Octopus Not Specified
General Malacostraca Not Specified
General Lancelets Not Specified
General See Comments; Food See Comments
Adult Squid, Octopus Not Specified
Adult Malacostraca Not Specified
Adult Lancelets Not Specified
Adult See Comments; Food See Comments
REFERENCES FOR GENERAL FOOD - 1168
REFERENCES FOR ADULT FOOD - 1168
COMMENTS ON FOOD -
Small fish including young garfish and small mullets
*1168*
COMMENTS ON ADULT FOOD -
Small fish including young garfish and small mullets
*1168*
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species tern, sandwich
Species Id M040188
Date 26 AUG 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G Water Level: Specified in Comments
G Water Depth Preference: Specified in Comments
G Coastal Features: Sandy offshore islands
G Coastal Features: Specified in Comments
E Water Level: Specified in Comments
REFERENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 2407, 1168 and 484
REFERENCES FOR FEEDING ADULT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 484
REFERENCES FOR EGG ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 1168
COMMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS -
Nest on low, flat sandy islands above high tide
level; if high tide destroys nest and eggs, renesting occurs *1168*;
more of a sea bird than the smaller terns--feeds offshore in open
ocean or among breakers *1168,484*; more and more of
beach-nesting birds that breed on the barrier islands are using dredge
spoil islands *2407*
COMMENTS ON FEEDING ADULT ENVIRONTAL ASSOC_ -
There is a lack of information about the sandwich tern's
feeding ecology *484*
COMMENTS ON EGG ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ -
Nest is close to high tide level so if storm
causes abnormally high tides, nest with eggs may be washed away *1168*
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species tern, sandwich
Species Id M040188
Date 26 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY
REPRODUCTION: 1-2 eggs/once a season--if washed out, do
renest *1168*; incubation by both sexes lasts about 3 weeks *1168*;
incubation lasts 25 days *559*; laying of eggs is highly synchronized
*559*; BEHAVIOR: nesting on low flat sandy islands above high tide level
with no vegetation present *1168*; nest is a slight hollow in sand with
no lining *1168*; foraging strategy/sites=feeding is offshore in open
ocean or in the breakers *1168,484*; chicks form a creche or group with
royal tern chicks with adults of both species intermingling while
feeding young *450*; ORIGIN: subspecies identified as native to North
America, formerly to Virginia *404*; range is extending northward
*2407,1168*; POPULATION PARAMETERS: uncommon summer resident on coast;
uncommon to rare postbreeding summer visitor on lower Chesapeake Bay
*700*; numbers increasing in Virginia in recent years *2407,700*; with
the breeding population closely tied to the success of royal tern
colonies *2407*; migration=winters from Louisiana coast and western
Florida to northern Colombia, West Indies, Brazil and Argentina *404*
REFERENCES FOR LIFE HISTORY- 2407, 1168, 700, 484, 559, 450 and 404
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species tern, sandwich
Species Id M040188
Date 26 AUG 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Other management practices [specified in comments]
REFERENCES FOR BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 2407
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
(B)=monitoring and preserving the fragile habitat these
birds occupy is required for their continued presence *2407*
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species tern, sandwich
Species Id M040188
Date 26 AUG 96
References
404* Union, American Ornithologists'. 1957. Check-list of North
American Birds. American Ornithologists' Union Baltimore,
Md:691.
406* Union, American Ornithologists', Nomencl., Comm. on
Classif. and. 1976. Thirty-third supplement to the AOU
check-list of North American birds. Auk 93:875-879.
450* Buckley, F.G., Buckley, P.A. 1972. The breeding ecology of
royal terns Sterna (Thalasseus) maxima maxima. Ibis 114:344-359.
484* Erwin, R.M. 1978. Coloniality in terns: the role of social
feeding. Condor 80:211-215.
559* Langham, N.P.E. 1974. Comparative breeding biology of the
sandwich tern. Auk 91:255-277.
575* Mayr, E. 1969. Principles of Systematic Zoology.
McGraw-Hill New York, N.Y:428.
700* Ornithology, Virginia Society of. 1979. Virginia's
Birdlife: An Annotated Check-list. Virginia Avifauna No. 2.
Virginia Society of Ornithology Lynchburg, Va:118.
1168* Bent, A.C. 1921. Life histories of North American gulls
and terns. U.S. Mus. Nat. Hist. Bull. 113. Reprint 1963 by Dover
Pubs. New York, N.Y:337.
2407* Beck, R.A. 1979. Sandwich tern. Proc. symp. on endangered
and threatened plants and animals of Virginia Linzey, D.W. Ext.
Div., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ.
Blacksburg:456.
4447* Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife. 1985. 50(66):15.
References - 1