Colloquially, it is known as the wideawake tern or just wideawake. This refers to the incessant calls produced by a colony of these birds, as does the Hawaiian name "ʻewa ʻewa" which roughly means "cacophony". In most of Polynesia its name is "manutara" or similar – literally "tern-bird", though it might be better rendered in English as "the tern" or "common tern". This refers to the fact that wherever Polynesian seafarers went on their long voyages, they usually would find these birds in astounding numbers. It is also known as "kaveka" in the Marquesas Islands, where dishes using its eggs are a delicacy.