Home › UK Birdedex › Sooty Tern
Sooty Tern
Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Legendary bird: +50 points when you log it.
Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Sea (very rare).
Diet: Fish.
Best time to spot: All-black above; white belly.
When to look
A rare visitor, not a resident. There is no dependable season, though most rarities are found during spring and autumn migration. More on the season in Rare birds in the UK.
How rare is it?
The Sooty Tern sits in our Legendary tier for the UK: a major rarity, where any record is big news. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- Bridled TernLegendary · Sea (very rare)
- Aleutian TernLegendary · Seabird colonies (extreme vagrant)
- American BitternLegendary · Reedbeds (very rare vagrant)
- Audubon's ShearwaterLegendary · Pelagic (very rare)
- Brown BoobyLegendary · Sea-cliffs (very rare)
- Brunnich's GuillemotLegendary · Sea (very rare)
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.
Log a Sooty Tern in your free UK Birdedex