Birdsong field guide
Bridled Tern
Onychoprion anaethetus
A medium-sized pelagic seabird characterized by its dark grey-brown upperparts and a distinctive white forehead patch that extends back past the eyes. It is more solitary than the similar Sooty Tern and is often associated with tropical and subtropical oceanic waters.
What it sounds like
A sharp, repetitive barking 'wut-wut' or 'wep-wep' that resembles the yapping of a small dog.
Field notes
- The white forehead patch extends behind the eye to form a 'bridle,' a key diagnostic feature that distinguishes it from the Sooty Tern.
- Unlike many other pelagic terns, it frequently perches on floating debris, driftwood, or sea turtles while at sea.
- Nesting usually occurs in concealed locations such as rock crevices, under ledges, or beneath dense vegetation rather than in open scrapes.
- They are highly pelagic and spend the majority of their lives over deep water, returning to land only for the breeding season.
- The species exhibits a pantropical distribution but is divided into several subspecies across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
Habitat
Tropical and subtropical oceans and seas; nests on rocky offshore islands, coral cays, and limestone cliffs.
Range
Circumtropical; found in the Caribbean, West Africa, the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia.
Similar & commonly confused birds
Heard a Bridled Tern?
Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.
Identify a bird by its song