A tern that breeds in colonies on small islands in tropical and subtropical seas. Adults are dark brown, with a white forehead fading to grey at the nape, and take fish and squid near the ocean surface.
Adults are chocolate brown, with a white forehead that fades to grey on the nape. Juveniles have white only on the forehead and lack the grey nape.
It feeds mainly on small fish and squid, swooping low to pick prey from the ocean surface. It nests in island colonies; depending on the site, nests may be on the ground, cliffs, or in trees and shrubs.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.