Gelochelidon
Australian tern (Gelochelidon macrotarsa)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Charadriiformes
Family: Laridae
Subfamily: Sterninae
Genus: Gelochelidon
Brehm, CL, 1830
Type species
Gelochelidon meridionalis[1] = Sterna nilotica
Brehm, 1830
Species

See text

Gelochelidon is a genus of terns. It was considered a monotypic genus until the Australian tern was split from the gull-billed tern.

Taxonomy

The genus Gelochelidon was introduced in 1830 by the German zoologist Alfred Brehm.[2] The type species is the gull-billed tern.[3] The name combines the Ancient Greek gelaō meaning "to laugh" with khelidōn meaning "swallow".[4]

The genus contains 2 species:[5]

Genus Gelochelidon – Brehm, CL, 1830 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Gull-billed tern

Gelochelidon nilotica
(Gmelin, JF, 1789)

Five subspecies
 southern Europe, temperate and eastern Asia, both coasts of North America, eastern South America.
Map of range 		Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 LC 


Australian tern

Gelochelidon macrotarsa
(Gould, 1837) 		Australia and New Guinea. Size:

Habitat:

Diet: 		 LC 



References

  1. ^ "Laridae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-26.
  2. ^ Brehm, Alfred (1830). "Beschluss der Uebersicht der deutschen Vögel". Isis von Oken (in German and Latin). 23. cols 985–1013 [994].
  3. ^ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1934). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 329.
  4. ^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. p. 171. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
  5. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2022). "Noddies, gulls, terns, skimmers, skuas, auks". IOC World Bird List Version 12.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
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