Whiskered Terns are medium-sized terns.
During the
breeding season they have a black cap that extends well onto
the nape of the neck, white cheeks and light to medium grey front
(neck, chest, belly and vent), of which usually the belly is
darkest, and grey wings.
The black eyes are surrounded by the black cap, while
the frons (base of the bill) is also black. The bill, the short
legs and feet are all dark-red.
In eclipse
the front and cap become white, with some mottled grey feathers
above a dark-grey nape of the neck. The bill turns black when
not breeding.
Juvenile
Whiskered Terns have dark leading and trailing edges to their wings
and a black bill. Otherwise they resemble non-breeding adults.
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
.
The global distribution of the Whiskered Tern is available
HERE
.
There are 3 races of Whiskered Terns, which are a partly migratory
species.
Nominate race
"hybridus"
breeds in the warmer parts of Europe and
Asia, mostly from the northern Mediterranean coastline, but also
the lower river Danube valley, eastwards into parts of inland
eastern Europe and the northern shores of the Black Sea and the
Caspian Sea. There are smaller breeding populations in parts of
Asia Minor and along the southern coastline of the Caspian Sea.
This race spends the northern winters in either southern Africa
or along the Indian subcontinent.
Race
"javanicus" populates parts of Indonesia and Australia.
This race is mostly dispersive, rather than migratory.
Race "delalandii" is resident in eastern and southern Africa.
In Europe Whiskered Terns,
race
"hybridus", are found as breeding migrants.
Their distribution is scattered, with only a limited number of
suitable habitats remaining.
In western and southern Europe they are found in parts of
southern Spain and some wetlands in France and Greece and in
the lower Po valley in northern Italy.
They are more widespread in eastern Europe, where there are
more suitable wetlands remaining, in particular from Poland,
Bielorussia and Ukraine into southern Russia,
and along the lower Danube valley, up to parts of Hungary.
Whiskered Terns are "marsh terns", i.e. they breed in inland fresh
water habitats. When not breeding they disperse into coastal,
salt water habitats.
Sightings
Click here for sighting information
Race "hybridus"
A Whiskered Tern, nominate race
"hybridus",
was spotted by S. Cuturilov near Temerin, Serbia, in July 2017.
D. Wilczynska reports finding a Whiskered Tern, nominate race
"hybridus",
in the River Bug Landscape Park, near Malkinia, Masovia, Poland, in May
2018.
J. Pires reports finding Whiskered Terns,
nominate race
"hybridus",
regularly during the breeding season near Mora, Evora, Portugal.
Race "javanicus"
Whiskered Terns, race
"javanicus",
were found by us in Australia.
Photos
Race "hybridus"
ADULT
Sex unknown
BREEDING
Frontal view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
Frontal view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage
trying to gain height, wings down
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]
Near-lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage
trying to gain height, wings up
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]
Lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
Lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, June 2019]
Near-dorsal view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding
plumage
banking sharply
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
Lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage in its typical habitat,
an inland marsh (photo courtesy of S. Cuturilov)
[Near Temerin, Serbia, July 2017]
Near-frontal view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage with a fish it has just caught
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
Dorsal view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage with its prey, a fish
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]
More Whiskered Tern sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
.
These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.