Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
The Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida) is a common skimmers, noddies, terns, and gull found in 132 countries, weighing about 84 g. The whiskered tern is a tern in the family Laridae.
About the Whiskered Tern
The whiskered tern is a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khelidonios, "swallow-like", from khelidon, "swallow". The specific hybridus is Latin for hybrid; Peter Simon Pallas thought it might be a hybrid of white-winged black tern and common tern, writing "Sterna fissipes [Chlidonias leucopterus] et Hirundine [Sterna hirundo] natam".
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The size, black cap, strong bill (29–34 mm in males, 25–27 mm and stubbier in females, with a pronounced gonys) and more positive flight recall common or Arctic tern, but the short, forked-looking tail and dark grey breeding plumage above and below are typically marsh tern characteristics. The summer adult has white cheeks and red legs and bill. The crown is flecked with white in the juvenile, and the hindcrown is more uniformly blackish, though in the winter adult this too is flecked with white.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United States, Finland, Mali, Niger, Iceland, Monaco, Malta, Djibouti, South Sudan.
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Whiskered Tern?
- The size, black cap, strong bill (29–34 mm in males, 25–27 mm and stubbier in females, with a pronounced gonys) and more positive flight recall common or Arctic tern, but the short, forked-looking tail and dark grey breeding plumage above and below are typically marsh tern characteristics. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Whiskered Tern?
- The Whiskered Tern is a medium sized bird weighing about 84 g.
- Where can you see a Whiskered Tern?
- The Whiskered Tern occurs in 132 countries, including India, Australia, Taiwan, Spain and South Africa.
- What birds look similar to a Whiskered Tern?
- The Whiskered Tern is most easily confused with the Black Tern, the White-winged Tern and the Black-fronted Tern.
- Is the Whiskered Tern endangered?
- The Whiskered Tern is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Whiskered Tern for real
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