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Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus) Alternate name(s): "Marsh Tern" German name(s): "Weißbartseeschwalbe", "Weißbart-Seeschwalbe" Size: 24-28 cm; wing span: 64-70 cm Body mass: 60-100 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.17-0.23

Europe: Family Group 10 Family Group 10 Table Great Skua Arctic Skua Pomarine Skua Caspian Gull Great Black-backed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull American Herring Gull European Herring Gull Yellow-legged Gull Audouin's Gull Slender-billed Gull Iceland Gull Common Gull Ring-billed Gull Black-headed Gull Bonaparte's Gull Mediterranean Gull Little Gull Sabine's Gull Black-legged Kittiwake Caspian Tern Sandwich Tern Gull-billed Tern Common Tern Arctic Tern Little Tern Forster's Tern Whiskered Tern Black Tern White-winged Black Tern Atlantic Puffin Razorbill Common Guillemot Black Guillemot Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description 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.

Taxonomy, classification See Whiskered Tern at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range 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. A. Sarok found Whiskered Terns, nominate race "hybridus", in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. Race "javanicus" Whiskered Terns, race "javanicus", were found by us in Australia.

Photos

Race "hybridus"

This race is also called the "Eurasian Whiskered Tern".

ADULT

Sex unknown

BREEDING

Lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Small mob of Whiskered Terns in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

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]

Frontal view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage in flight looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Monte do Porto, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, June 2022]

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)
[Albufeira do Monte do Porto, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, June 2022]

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]

Lateral/ventral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Monte do Porto, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

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]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Dorsal view of a dependent juvenile Whiskered Tern being fed a fish (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Breeding information

Breeding season: May - Sep

Eggs: 2 - 3

Incubation period: 18 - 20 days

Fledging age: ca. 21(?) days

Nest building: Female & male

Incubation: Female & male

Dependent care: Female & male

Lateral view of a pair of Whiskered Terns in breeding plumage; one appears to bring an offering, possibly as part of a bonding ritual (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Monte do Porto, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, May 2022]

Pair of Whiskered Terns in breeding plumage working on the next generation (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Monte do Porto, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, May 2022]

Overview of Whiskered Terns in breeding plumage in their chosen colonial breeding area (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Monte do Porto, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, May 2022]

Nest

Type: Basket

Material: Grass stems, dry aquatic plants

Height above ground: N/A

Lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage on its nest (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Charca do Prates, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage on its nest (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Charca do Prates, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Frontal/lateral view of two Whiskered Terns in breeding plumage on their nests (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Monte do Porto, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, June 2022]

Whiskered Tern nest while nobody is home (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Charca do Prates, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, May 2023]

Eggs

Size: 37 x 27 mm

Colour: Off-white, with dark-brown speckles

Shape: Tapered oval

The pattern and density of speckles can vary significantly.

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary/mob

Lateral view of a pair of Whiskered Terns in breeding plumage; one appears to bring an offering, possibly as part of a bonding ritual (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Albufeira do Monte do Porto, Arraiolos, Evora, Portugal, May 2022]

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]

Race "javanicus"

Photos of Whiskered Terns, race "javanicus", were taken by us in Australia.

Food, Diet

Near-frontal view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage in flight with a fish it has just caught (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Lateral view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage in flight with its catch, a fish
(photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Dorsal view of a Whiskered Tern in breeding plumage in flight with its prey, a fish (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Near Mora, Evora, Portugal, May 2019]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

whstern_20220116_4.m4a	javanicus (NW NSW)	Contact call?	© MD
whstern_20220116_3.m4a	javanicus (NW NSW)	Contact calls?	© MD
whstern_20220116_2.m4a	javanicus (NW NSW)	Contact calls? (Q&A)	© MD
whstern_vc_20220130.m4a	javanicus (NW NSW)	Contact calls? (Q&A; in-flight)	© VC
whstern_20220116.m4a	javanicus (NW NSW)	Contact calls? (Q&A; mob)	© MD
whstern_vc_20211110_2.m4a	javanicus (NW NSW)	Various (hunting & feeding)	© VC
whstern_20220130.m4a	javanicus (NW NSW)	Various (juveniles? in-flight)	© MD

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.

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