Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusGelochelidon (Gull-billed Terns)
- SpeciesGelochelidon nilotica (Gull-billed Tern)
The gull-billed tern (Gelochelidon nilotica) is a tern in the family Laridae. It is widely distributed and breeds in scattered localities in Europe, Asia, northwest Africa, and the Americas. The Australian gull-billed tern was previously considered a subspecies. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Gull-billed Tern sighting in Liwonde National Park, based on 41 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Liwonde National Park
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
African Skimmer
Rynchops flavirostris
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
African Jacana
Actophilornis africanus
Spur-winged Lapwing
Vanellus spinosus
Common Sandpiper
Actitis hypoleucos
African Wattled Lapwing
Vanellus senegallus
Water Thick-knee
Burhinus vermiculatus
Black-winged Stilt
Himantopus himantopus
Long-toed Lapwing
Vanellus crassirostris
Common Greenshank
Tringa nebularia
📅 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 Gull-billed Tern in Liwonde National Park?
About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Gull-billed Tern sighting in Liwonde National Park, based on 41 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Gull-billed Tern in Liwonde National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Gull-billed Tern in Liwonde National Park in our monthly data.