Genus

Small Terns

Sternula

7 species in our catalog · found in 87 parks

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
GenusSternula (Small Terns)

Species in this group

Each card shows the species at its best park — tap for the full profile

Sternula superciliaris

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely

Sternula albifrons

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Sternula balaenarum

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Sternula lorata

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

Sternula antillarum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Sternula nereis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Sternula saundersi

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Daily sighting probability by month

Probability-weighted average across the group's species

~10%

Jan

~10%

Feb

~10%

Mar

~10%

Apr

~20%

May

~20%

Jun

~20%

Jul

~20%

Aug

~10%

Sep

~10%

Oct

~10%

Nov

~10%

Dec

When they're spotted

When the group's species are recorded (aggregated)

Where to see Small Terns

Worldwide records of this group (human observations from 2019 onwards, GBIF). Pins mark our parks — tap one for the chance of seeing at least one species of the group there.

Parks Ranked

Chance of seeing at least one species of the group · number of its species present

#	Park	Country	Species	Daily sighting probability
1	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	1	~50%
	Yellow-billed Tern			~50%
2	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	1	~30%
	Yellow-billed Tern			~30%
3	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	1	~20%
	Little Tern			~20%
4	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	1	~20%
	Yellow-billed Tern			~20%
5	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	2	~20%
	Damara Tern			~20%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
6	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	1	~20%
	Little Tern			~20%
7	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	1	~20%
	Peruvian Tern			~20%
8	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	3	~10%
	Little Tern			~10%
	Saunders's Tern			<5%
	Damara Tern			<5%
9	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	1	~10%
	Least Tern			~10%
10	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	1	~10%
	Yellow-billed Tern			~10%
11	Bako National Park	🇲🇾 Malaysia	1	~10%
	Little Tern			~10%
12	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	1	~10%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
13	Camargue	🇫🇷 France	1	~10%
	Little Tern			~10%
14	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	1	~10%
	Yellow-billed Tern			~10%
15	Cape Range	🇦🇺 Australia	2	~10%
	Fairy Tern			~10%
	Little Tern			<5%
16	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	1	~10%
	Least Tern			~10%
17	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	1	~10%
	Little Tern			~10%
18	Ningaloo Marine Park	🇦🇺 Australia	2	~10%
	Fairy Tern			~10%
	Little Tern			<5%
19	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	1	~10%
	Yellow-billed Tern			~10%
20	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1	~10%
	Least Tern			~10%
21	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	1	~10%
	Little Tern			~10%
22	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	1	~10%
	Yellow-billed Tern			~10%
23	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	1	~10%
	Little Tern			~10%
24	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	1	~10%
	Least Tern			~10%
25	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	1	~10%
	Least Tern			~10%
26	Booderee National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	1	~10%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
27	Satpura National Park	🇮🇳 India	1	~10%
	Little Tern			~10%
28	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1	~10%
	Yellow-billed Tern			Insufficient data
29	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	1	~10%
	Yellow-billed Tern			~10%
30	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
31	Komodo National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
32	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data
33	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	1	<5%
	Least Tern			<5%
34	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	1	<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			<5%
35	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	1	<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			<5%
36	Cabo Pulmo National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data
37	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
38	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	1	<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			<5%
39	Bandipur National Park	🇮🇳 India	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
40	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
41	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	1	<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			<5%
42	Wilsons Promontory National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	2	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
	Fairy Tern			<5%
43	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1	<5%
	Least Tern			<5%
44	Daintree National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
45	Minneriya National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
46	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	1	<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			<5%
47	Raja Ampat	🇮🇩 Indonesia	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
48	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	1	<5%
	Least Tern			<5%
49	Noosa National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
50	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1	<5%
	Least Tern			<5%
51	Maria Island National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	1	<5%
	Fairy Tern			Insufficient data
52	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	2	<5%
	Least Tern			<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			Insufficient data
53	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
54	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
55	Tanjung Puting National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
56	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	1	<5%
	Least Tern			<5%
57	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	2	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
	Damara Tern			Insufficient data
58	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	1	<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			Insufficient data
59	Flinders Chase	🇦🇺 Australia	1	<5%
	Fairy Tern			Insufficient data
60	Tangkoko Nature Reserve	🇮🇩 Indonesia	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
61	Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary	🇲🇾 Malaysia	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
62	El Palmar National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	1	<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			Insufficient data
63	Nagarhole National Park	🇮🇳 India	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
64	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	1	<5%
	Peruvian Tern			Insufficient data
65	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	1	<5%
	Least Tern			<5%
66	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	1	<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			Insufficient data
67	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
68	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	1	<5%
	Little Tern			<5%
69	Freycinet National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	1	<5%
	Fairy Tern			Insufficient data
70	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data
71	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	1	<5%
	Yellow-billed Tern			Insufficient data
72	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data
73	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data
74	Ranthambore National Park	🇮🇳 India	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
75	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data
76	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data
77	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
78	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data
79	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
80	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	1	<5%
	Least Tern			<5%
81	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
82	Fiordland National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
83	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
84	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1	<5%
	Little Tern			Insufficient data
85	Great Otway National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	1	<5%
	Fairy Tern			Insufficient data
86	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data
87	Saguaro National Park	🇺🇸 United States	1	<5%
	Least Tern			Insufficient data

Small Terns

Species in this group

Yellow-billed Tern

Little Tern

Damara Tern

Peruvian Tern

Least Tern

Fairy Tern

Saunders's Tern

Daily sighting probability by month

When they're spotted

Where to see Small Terns

Parks Ranked