Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers
Order: Charadriiformes. Family: Laridae
Laridae is a family of medium to large birds seabirds and includes gulls, kittiwakes, terns and skimmers. They are typically grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have longish bills and webbed feet. Terns are a group of generally general medium to large seabirds typically with grey or white plumage, often with black markings on the head. Most terns hunt fish by diving but some pick insects off the surface of fresh water. Terns are generally long-lived birds, with several species now known to live in excess of 25 to 30 years. Skimmers are a small family of tropical tern-like birds. They have an elongated lower mandible which they use to feed by flying low over the water surface and skimming the water for small fish.
- Herring Gull Larus argentatus
- Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla
- Franklin's Gull Leucophaeus pipixcan
- Sabine's Gull Xema sabini
- Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica
- Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia
- Elegant Tern Thalasseus elegans
- Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis
- Royal Tern Thalasseus maxima
- Common Tern Sterna hirundo
- Least Tern Sternula antillarum
- Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus
- Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscata
- Black Tern Chlidonias niger
- Brown Noddy Anous stolidus (A)
- Black Skimmer Rynchops niger
Read more about this topic: List Of Birds Of Nicaragua