Typical white tern

Sterna is a genus of terns in the bird family Sternidae. It used to encompass most "white" terns indiscriminately, but mtDNA sequence comparisons have recently determined that this arrangement is paraphyletic (Bridge et al., 2005). It is now restricted to the typical large white terns occurring near-globally in coastal regions.

Classification

 * Genus Sterna - typical white terns
 * Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii
 * White-fronted Tern Sterna striata
 * Black-naped Tern Sterna sumatrana
 * Common Tern Sterna hirundo
 * South American Tern Sterna hirundinacea
 * Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata
 * Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea
 * Forster's Tern Sterna forsteri
 * Snowy-crowned Tern Sterna trudeaui
 * Black-bellied Tern Sterna acuticauda (possibly Chlidonias)
 * River Tern Sterna aurantia
 * White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa (possibly Chlidonias)
 * Kerguelen Tern Sterna virgata