About the Sandwich Tern
The Sandwich tern is a tern in the family Laridae. It is very closely related to the lesser crested tern, Chinese crested tern, Cabot's tern, and elegant tern and has been known to interbreed with both elegant and lesser crested terns. It breeds in the Palearctic from Europe to the Caspian Sea, and winters in the Mediterranean and on the coasts of Africa, India, and Sri Lanka.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
This is a medium-large tern, 36–41 cm (14–16 in) long with an 95–105 cm (37–41 in) wingspan, which is unlikely to be confused within most of its range. The weight ranges from 200–300 g; males average slightly heavier than females, but with much overlap. The thin, sharp bill is black with a yellow tip. Its short legs are black. Its upper wings are pale grey and its underparts white, and this tern looks very pale in flight, although the primary flight feathers darken during the summer.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Sandwich Tern sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Canada, Finland, Serbia, Congo - Brazzaville, Djibouti, Madagascar, São Tomé & Príncipe, Turkmenistan, Faroe Islands.
When to see it
Peak activity in April · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Royal TernThalasseus maximusThis is a large tern, second only to the Caspian tern among terns in the Americas, but is unlikely to be confused with this "carrot-billed" giant, which has extensive dark underwing patches.
Greater Crested TernThalasseus bergiiThe greater crested tern is a large tern with a long (5.4–6.5 cm or 2.1–2.6 in) yellow bill, black legs, and a glossy black crest that is noticeably shaggy at its rear.
Elegant TernThalasseus elegansThis is a medium-large tern, with a long, slender, slightly downcurved orange bill, pale gray upperparts and white underparts.
Side by side: Royal Tern vs Sandwich Tern · Greater Crested Tern vs Sandwich Tern · Elegant Tern vs Sandwich Tern
Learn the Sandwich Tern for real
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