White tern
| White tern | |
|---|---|
| Nominate Gygis alba alba on Ascension Island | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Gygis |
| Species: | G. alba |
| Binomial name | |
| Gygis alba (Sparrman, 1786) | |
The white tern or common white tern (Gygis alba) is a small seabird found across the tropical oceans of the world. It is sometimes known as the fairy tern, although this name is potentially confusing as it is also the common name of Sternula nereis. Other names for the species include angel tern and white noddy in English, and manu-o-Kū in Hawaiian. In the Cook Islands, it is known as the kakaia.