Whiskered Tern

Chlidonias hybrida

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
GenusChlidonias (Marsh Terns)
SpeciesChlidonias hybrida (Whiskered Tern)

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

at Cape Range

3 Verified sightings at Cape Range From 2019 to 2026

6,283 Verified sightings across all 82 parks From 2019 to 2026

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Whiskered Tern

The whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybrida) 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".

This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in size and minor plumage details. The tropical forms are resident, but European and Asian birds winter south to Africa and the Indian subcontinent. A tagged whiskered tern was spotted at Manakudi Bird Sanctuary, Kanniyakumari District of Tamil Nadu, India in the month of April 2021.

This species breeds in colonies on inland marshes, sometimes amongst black-headed gulls, which provide some protection. The scientific name arises from the fact that this, the largest marsh tern, show similarities in appearance to both the white Sterna terns and to black 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... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Cape Range

Chlidonias leucopterus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Endemic

Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Thalasseus bergii

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely

Hydroprogne caspia

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible

Thalasseus bengalensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

VU Endemic

Sternula nereis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Sternula albifrons

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Onychoprion anaethetus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Sterna dougallii

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Sterna hirundo

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Gelochelidon nilotica

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Onychoprion fuscatus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

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	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~40%
2	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~40%
3	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~40%
4	Amboseli National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
5	Lake Nakuru National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	~30%
6	Kakadu National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~20%
7	Chobe National Park	🇧🇼 Botswana	~20%
8	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~20%
9	Ngorongoro Conservation Area	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~20%
10	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~20%
11	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
12	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	~10%
13	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	~10%
14	Minneriya National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	~10%
15	Lake Manyara National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	~10%
16	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	~10%
17	Moremi Game Reserve	🇧🇼 Botswana	~10%
18	Ningaloo Marine Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~10%
19	Gorongosa National Park	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~10%
20	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary	🇲🇾 Malaysia	~10%
21	Hwange National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	~10%
22	Tarangire National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
23	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
24	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	<5%
25	Kafue National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	<5%
26	Raja Ampat	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
27	Liwonde National Park	🇲🇼 Malawi	<5%
28	Pilanesberg National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
29	Queen Elizabeth National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
30	Keoladeo National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
31	Great Otway National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
32	Grampians National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
33	Tsavo West National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
34	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
35	Kaziranga National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
36	Khao Yai National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	<5%
37	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
38	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	<5%
39	Serengeti National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	<5%
40	Kruger National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
41	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
42	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
43	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
44	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
45	Murchison Falls National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	<5%
46	Virunga National Park	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	<5%
47	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
48	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	<5%
49	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
50	Daintree National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
51	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
52	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
53	Way Kambas National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
54	Gunung Leuser National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
55	Bako National Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data
56	Gonarezhou National Park	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	Insufficient data
57	Cape Range	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
58	Awash National Park	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	Insufficient data
59	Ruaha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
60	Tangkoko Nature Reserve	🇮🇩 Indonesia	Insufficient data
61	Kidepo Valley National Park	🇺🇬 Uganda	Insufficient data
62	Flinders Chase	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
63	Bandipur National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
64	Litchfield National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
65	Nairobi National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
66	Bandhavgarh National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
67	Etosha National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	Insufficient data
68	Ankarafantsika National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	Insufficient data
69	South Luangwa National Park	🇿🇲 Zambia	Insufficient data
70	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	Insufficient data
71	Periyar National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
72	Danum Valley Conservation Area	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data
73	Jim Corbett National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
74	Aberdare National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	Insufficient data
75	Arusha National Park	🇹🇿 Tanzania	Insufficient data
76	Kaeng Krachan National Park	🇹🇭 Thailand	Insufficient data
77	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
78	Sinharaja Forest Reserve	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
79	Sepilok	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data
80	Blue Mountains National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
81	Kanha National Park	🇮🇳 India	Insufficient data
82	Kinabalu Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	Insufficient data

← Back to Cape Range

Whiskered Tern

About the Whiskered Tern

Closest Relatives at Cape Range

White-winged Tern

Silver Gull

Crested Tern

Caspian Tern

Lesser Crested Tern

Fairy Tern

Little Tern

Bridled Tern

Roseate Tern

Common Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Sooty Tern

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found