Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusSterna (Typical Terns)
- SpeciesSterna hirundo (Common Tern)
Closest Relatives at Addo Elephant National Park
Roseate Tern
Sterna dougallii
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Sooty Gull
Ichthyaetus hemprichii
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Hartlaub's Gull
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Damara Tern
Sternula balaenarum
Blacksmith Lapwing
Vanellus armatus
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Tern in Addo Elephant National Park?
About 1% of visitor-days record a Common Tern sighting in Addo Elephant National Park, based on 7 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see Common Tern in Addo Elephant National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Common Tern in Addo Elephant National Park in our monthly data.