South American Tern
Sterna hirundinacea
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusSterna (Typical Terns)
- SpeciesSterna hirundinacea (South American Tern)
Closest Relatives at Península Valdés
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Snowy-crowned Tern
Sterna trudeaui
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Dolphin Gull
Leucophaeus scoresbii
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Brown-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus maculipennis
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Cabot's Tern
Thalasseus acuflavidus
Olrog's Gull
Larus atlanticus
American Oystercatcher
Haematopus palliatus
Blackish Oystercatcher
Haematopus ater
Snowy Sheathbill
Chionis albus
📅 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
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 4 | Paracas National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 5 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 6 | Tijuca National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a South American Tern in Península Valdés?
About 43% of visitor-days record a South American Tern sighting in Península Valdés, based on 150 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see South American Tern in Península Valdés?
January has the highest sighting rate for South American Tern in Península Valdés in our monthly data.