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 Paracas National Reserve
South American Tern
Sterna hirundinacea
Belcher's Gull
Larus belcheri
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Grey Gull
Leucophaeus modestus
Inca Tern
Larosterna inca
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Larus pipixcan
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Peruvian Tern
Sternula lorata
📅 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 Paracas National Reserve?
About 2% of visitor-days record a Common Tern sighting in Paracas National Reserve, based on 10 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see Common Tern in Paracas National Reserve?
January has the highest sighting rate for Common Tern in Paracas National Reserve in our monthly data.