Black Tern
Black Tern

Black Tern

Chlidonias niger

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Camargue
20 Verified sightings at Camargue From 2019 to 2026
6,403 Verified sightings across all 59 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Black Tern

The black tern (Chlidonias niger) is a small tern generally found in or near inland water that breeds in Europe, Western Asia and North America. In winter the birds migrate to coastal areas of Africa and South America. The black tern was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Sterna nigra. Linnaeus specified the type location as Europe but it is now restricted to Uppsala in Sweden. The black tern is now one of four species placed in the genus Chlidonias that was introduced in 1822 by the French naturalist Constantine Rafinesque. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khelidonios, "swallow-like", from khelidon, "swallow": another old English name for the black tern is "carr (i.e. lake) swallow". The species name is from Latin niger "shining black". As its name suggests, it has predominantly dark plumage. In some lights it can appear blue in the breeding season, hence the old English name "blue darr".

Two subspecies are recognised. These are listed below with their breeding ranges. Adults are 25 cm (10 in) long, with a wingspan 61 cm (24 in), and weigh 62... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Camargue

Whiskered Tern
LC

Whiskered Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chlidonias hybrida

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely
Yellow-legged Gull
LC Endemic

Yellow-legged Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus michahellis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Slender-billed Gull

Slender-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus genei

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Gull-billed Tern
LC

Gull-billed Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gelochelidon nilotica

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Bird

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Caspian Tern
LC

Caspian Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydroprogne caspia

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Little Tern
LC

Little Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sternula albifrons

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Common Tern
LC

Common Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna hirundo

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black-legged Kittiwake
VU

Black-legged Kittiwake

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rissa tridactyla

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Sabine's Gull
LC

Sabine's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Xema sabini

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

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

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
2 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
3 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
4 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
5 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
6 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
7 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
8 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
9 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
10 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
11 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%
12 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
13 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
<5%
14 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
15 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
16 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
<5%
17 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
<5%
18 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
19 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
20 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
21 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
22 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
23 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
24 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
25 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
26 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
27 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
28 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
29 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
30 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
31 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
32 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
34 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
35 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
36 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
37 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
<5%
38 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
<5%
39 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
40 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
Insufficient data
41 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
42 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
43 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
44 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
45 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
46 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
Insufficient data
47 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
48 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
49 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
Insufficient data
50 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
51 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
52 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
53 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
54 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
55 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
56 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
57 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
58 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
59 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Black Tern in Camargue?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Tern sighting in Camargue, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Black Tern in Camargue?

September has the highest sighting rate for Black Tern in Camargue in our monthly data.

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