A tern with a thick black bill that takes prey from the air, ground, and water surface rather than plunge-diving.
It has a thick black bill and long wings. Breeding adults have a black cap; nonbreeding adults and juveniles have a pale head, often with a dark patch behind the eye.
It catches insects in the air, takes crabs and other small animals from the ground, and picks fish from the water surface. Unlike most terns, it rarely plunges into water.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.