Text extracted from Gill B.J.; Bell, B.D.; Chambers, G.K.; Medway, D.G.; Palma, R.L.; Scofield, R.P.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Worthy, T.H. 2010. Checklist of the birds of New Zealand, Norfolk and Macquarie Islands, and the Ross Dependency, Antarctica. 4th edition. Wellington, Te Papa Press and Ornithological Society of New Zealand. Pages 191, 223, 230 & 233-234.

Order CHARADRIIFORMES: Waders, Gulls and Terns The family sequence of Christidis & Boles (1994), who adopted that of Sibley et al. (1988) and Sibley & Monroe (1990), is followed here.

Suborder LARI: Skuas, Gulls, Terns and Skimmers Condon (1975) and Checklist Committee (1990) recognised three subfamilies within the Laridae (Larinae, Sterninae and Megalopterinae) but this division has not been widely adopted. We follow Gochfeld & Burger (1996) in recognising gulls in one family (Laridae) and terns and noddies in another (Sternidae). The sequence of species for Stercorariidae and Laridae follows Peters (1934) and for Sternidae follows Bridge et al. (2005).

Family STERNIDAE Bonaparte: Terns and Noddies Sterninae Bonaparte, 1838: Geogr. Comp. List. Birds: 61 – Type genus Sterna Linnaeus, 1758.

Most recommendations from a new study of tern and noddy relationships, based on mtDNA (Bridge et al. 2005), have already been adopted by the Taxonomic Subcommittee of the British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (Sangster et al. 2005) and the American Ornithologists’ Union Committee on Classification and Nomenclature (Banks, R.C. et al. 2006). This follows many years of disagreement about the generic classification of terns for which 3–12 genera have recently been used (see Bridge et al. 2005). The genera and their sequence recommended by Bridge et al. (2005) are accepted here, with the exception that we place the crested tern in Sterna rather than Thalasseus, because the evidence for the latter association is weaker (Sangster et al. 2005).

Genus Gygis Wagler Gygis Wagler, 1832: Isis von Oken, Heft 11: col. 1223 – Type species (by monotypy) Sterna candida Gmelin = Gygis alba candida (Gmelin). Leucanous Mathews, 1912: Birds Australia 2: 432 – Type species (by original designation) Gygis microrhyncha Saunders = Gygis alba microrhyncha Saunders.

Gygis alba (Sparrman) White Tern Sterna alba Sparrman, 1786: Mus. Carlsonianum 1: no XI, pl. 11 – East Indies, Cape of Good Hope and islands of the Pacific Ocean, restricted to Ascension Island, south Atlantic Ocean (fide Mathews 1912, Birds Australia 2: 441).

Circumtropical, also ranging widely over subtropical seas. Several forms named but relationships between populations are debated (e.g. Gochfeld & Burger 1996, Olson 2005). We follow Holyoak & Thibault (1976), Kinsky & Yaldwyn (1981) and Higgins & Davies (1996) in recognising G. a. candida (Gmelin, 1789) as the form breeding in the New Zealand region.

Gygis alba candida (Gmelin) White Tern Sterna candida Gmelin, 1789: Syst. Nat., 13th edition 1(2): 607 – Christmas Island, Pacific Ocean. Gygis candida Wagler [sic]; G.R. Gray 1862, Ibis 4: 249. ? Gygis alba; Finsch 1872, Jour. für Ornith. 20(4): 254. Not Sterna alba Sparrman, 1786. Gygis candida Gould [sic]; Cheeseman 1889, Trans. Proc. N.Z. Inst. 21: 122. Gygis alba; Buller 1905, Suppl. Birds N.Z. 1: 163. Not Sterna alba Sparrman, 1786. Gygis alba candida (Gmelin); Mathews 1912, Novit. Zool. 18(3): 211. Gygis alba royana Mathews, 1912: Birds Australia 2: 433 – Kermadec Islands. Leucanous albus royanus (Mathews); Mathews 1927, Syst. Avium Australasianarum 1: 142. Leucanous albus candidus (Gmelin); Mathews 1927, Syst. Avium Australasianarum 1: 143. Gygis alba; Lindsay 1963, Notornis 10: 304. Not Sterna alba Sparrman, 1786. Gygis alba alba; Gochfeld & Burger 1996, in del Hoyo et al. Handb. Birds World 3: 666. Not Sterna alba Sparrman, 1786.

Breeds at Norfolk and Kermadec Islands and at many sites in the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans (Higgins & Davies 1996). Straggles rarely to the North Island: two Mar. 1883, Waipu (Iredale 1913); May 1960, Te Honga (Bethells Beach); May 1964, Pakotai (Northland); Jun. 1972, Palmerston North; May 1986, Otaki Beach (Powlesland 1989a); Apr. 1988, Te Horo Beach; Jul. 1990, near Dargaville (Powlesland et al. 1993); May 1990, Muriwai Beach (Guest 1991); May 1998, Taupiri (Clifford 2000a); Jul. 1998, Dargaville Beach (Taylor 2004). Records at sea off Northland (Jan. 2005; Davies 2005a) and Ohiwa Harbour (Nov. 2006; Anon. 2007c) are unverified. Only three records from the South Island: Mar. 1945, Ettrick, Otago (Powlesland 1989a); Jan. 2002, Greymouth (NMNZ 27993); undated, near Hokitika (NMNZ 27989). One fossil found on Nepean Island, Norfolk Island Group (Meredith 1985b, 1991).