**Description:** The world’s largest tern, resembling a large gull but with a massive, bright coral-red bill and a velvet-black cap.
**Size & Weight:** 19–23 inches long. Wingspan up to 4.5 feet. Weighs 1.2–1.7 lbs.
**Behavior:** Highly aggressive nest defenders that hunt by hovering and then plunging head-first into the water to catch fish.
**Identification:** Call is a harsh, rasping croak. Bill is much thicker and redder than the similar Common Tern.
**Habitat:** Open reservoir waters and larger river channels.