Wildlifeof Thailand
Black-bellied Tern
Laridae
Photo: (c) Daniel Z, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY (May be cropped or resized)
Sterna acuticauda
Basic stats
Diet
Small fish and aquatic insects
Habitat
Large rivers and freshwater wetlands
Range
South and mainland Southeast Asia
The black-bellied tern is a slender inland tern with grey upperparts, a black breeding belly, orange bill and deeply forked tail. It inhabits large rivers and freshwater wetlands in South and mainland Southeast Asia, taking small fish and aquatic insects in graceful dives. Pairs nest on open sand or gravel bars, where changing river flow and disturbance can destroy colonies (Wikipedia, general species account). It is Nationally Critically Endangered (Thailand Red Data 2025).
Quick answers
- What does the Black-bellied Tern eat?
- Small fish and aquatic insects
- What habitat does the Black-bellied Tern live in?
- Large rivers and freshwater wetlands
- Where is the Black-bellied Tern found?
- South and mainland Southeast Asia