White-winged Tern       Childonias leucopterus

Etymology:

• Childonias : Greek word khelidonios swallow-like derived from khelidon –swallow
• Leucopterus : Greek word leukos –white; pterux –wing { White-winged}

 Vernacular names: Guj: Thobhali dhomdi, Safedpankhvali dhomdi, Sweth pankh kali vabagali, Mar: Pandhrya Pankhacha Kala Suray

 Distribution in India: Widespread winter visitor in India

Distribution : Size of 23–27 cm; Weight of 42–79 g ; wingspan of 58–67 cm. Very distinctive in breeding plumage, appearing markedly black and white: the head, body and scapulars are black, with contrasting white rump, tail and undertail-covert. The upperwing is grey, with white lesser and median coverts. The underwing is pale grey, with all coverts contrastingly blackish. The bill is reddish black; legs are bright to dull red. The non-breeding adult is pale grey above, white below, and head is white, with dusky crown and ear-coverts patch. The juvenile has blackish-brown saddle and silver-grey wings, contrasting with white rump and collar.

Habitat: It breeds mainly inland, on vegetated freshwater lakes and swamps, and rice fields. On passage and in winter occurs in variety of habitats, from inland lakes to rocky coasts, rivers, impoundments, lagoons and mangrove swamps. It often roosts on emergent branches of drowned trees or on pilings.

Food habits:  It eats  aquatic insects and terrestrial insects, small fish & tadpoles. It is an accomplished aerial feeder; uses contact-dipping, also hover-dipping, and hawks flying insects. It does not plunge-dive.

Breeding habits: They breed  in  Apr–Aug. They may skip breeding in drought years. They breed in small colonies of 20–40, occasionally more than 100 pairs; usually monospecific, sometimes with other terns or with Little Gulls or Black-necked Grebes . They have low colony site fidelity. The nest is of water weed with shallow cup, built on mat of floating vegetation in water, occasionally on dry shore or resting on bottom; . They lay a clutch of 2–3 eggs. The incubation period is 18–22 day. The chicks are buffy above, streaked with black, paler below with few dark spots, and pale patch surrounding eye. The fledging period is 20–25 days.