Black Tern
Black Tern

Black Tern

Chlidonias niger

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Glacier National Park
24 Verified sightings at Glacier National Park From 2019 to 2026
6,105 Verified sightings across all 47 parks From 2019 to 2026
June 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 Glacier National Park

Ring-billed Gull
LC

Ring-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus delawarensis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
California Gull
LC

California Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus californicus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Herring Gull
LC

American Herring Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus smithsonianus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Bonaparte's Gull

Bonaparte's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Iceland Gull
LC

Iceland Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus glaucoides

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Caspian Tern
LC

Caspian Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydroprogne caspia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Short-billed Gull

Short-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus brachyrhynchus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Franklin's Gull

Franklin's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Forster's Tern
LC

Forster's Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna forsteri

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Lesser Black-backed Gull
LC

Lesser Black-backed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus fuscus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Glaucous Gull
LC

Glaucous Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus hyperboreus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Spotted Sandpiper
LC

Spotted Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Actitis macularius

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Black Tern in Glacier National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black Tern sighting in Glacier National Park, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Black Tern in Glacier National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Black Tern in Glacier National Park in our monthly data.

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