Learn what every symbol on the card means.Full credits and sources at beakbrain.com/symbols
MarineMedium · 380 g
ID tip
The West African crested tern is one of the three larger crested terns, along with royal tern and greater crested tern. Its tail is shallowly forked and the adult's bill is long and orange. It is about 50 cm (20 in) long, with a wingspan between 125–135 cm (49–53 in), and weighs 320–440 g (11–16 oz) with a mean weight of 367 g (12.9 oz). In breeding plumage its underside is white and upper parts silvery grey; the top of the head is black with a shaggy crest at the rear. As in all Thalasseus terns, the primary feathers are silvery when fresh, but soon become blackish with wear.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
When to see the West African Crested Tern
One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 9 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.
Where to see the West African Crested Tern
The map shades 18 countries with regular records, and 4 more in a lighter tone where the bird turns up only as a stray. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.
Recorded as a rare visitor in Spain, France, Portugal, Congo - Kinshasa.
About the West African Crested Tern
The West African crested tern is a bird species in the family Laridae. Until 2020 it was considered a subspecies of the New World royal tern, Thalasseus maximus.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Chinese Crested TernThalasseus bernsteiniIt is a medium-large tern 38–43 cm long, closely similar in appearance to Sandwich tern T. sandvicensis, Cabot's tern T. acuflavidus, and lesser crested tern T. bengalensis.
Lesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensisThis is a medium-large tern, 35–43 cm long and with a 88–105 cm wingspan; its weight ranges from 185–242 g.
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: Greater Crested Tern vs West African Crested Tern · Elegant Tern vs West African Crested Tern · Lesser Crested Tern vs West African Crested Tern
Learn the West African Crested Tern in the BeakBrain App
Photo and call practice. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
Play today's Daily BirdEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.