White-winged Black Tern breed on freshwater marshes across
southeast Europe to central Asia, in winter they migrate to
Africa, southern Asia and Australia and are a vagrant to the
British Isles with between ten and forty records annually.
The word 'tern' probably originates from the Old English
word 'stearn' meaning sea-swallow. Some historical name for
Tern include; Pick Tarnie, Darr, Tarrock, Purre, Kirr Mew
and Skiff.
There has been one White-winged Black Tern reported from S.
Gloucestershire;
1990: (1)
On May 3rd an adult was identified in flight with Black
Terns heading up the Severn estuary at Aust Warth. This
occurrence constitutes the first report of this species in
S. Gloucestershire. (P Chadwick)