Kenai Birding Festival

Aleutian Tern

Written by kenaibirding Saturday, 27 November 2010 22:08

The Aleutian Tern (Onychoprion aleutia) breeds only in Alaska and eastern Siberia.  The nesting habitat varies from islands to shrub tundra to grass/sedge meadows.  The nest is usually a depression in short or matted vegetation.  Incubation time for the 1-3 eggs is 20-29 days and the young fledge in 25-31 days.  The diet of Aleutian terns consists of small fish, invertebrates, and insects.  The winter range is in Indonesia and Malaysia, although the full winter range is not fully known.

On the Kenai Peninsula Aleutian terns can be found at the mouth of the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers, on Headquarters Lake on the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and in the waters of Kachemak Bay near Homer, Alaska.