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10

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus) Alternate name(s): "Marsh Tern" Size: 24-28 cm; wing span: 57-63 cm Weight: 80 g (average)

Oman: Family Group 10 Family Group 10 Table Slender-billed Gull Sooty Gull Caspian Gull Heuglin's Gull Greater Crested Tern Lesser Crested Tern Gull-billed Tern Caspian Tern Sandwich Tern Common Tern Little Tern Whiskered Tern White-cheeked Tern Bridled Tern Thumbnails page Classification table Index of bird names Birds home page

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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. Twitcher's tip Especially when seen inland, their mid- to dark-grey front during the breeding season makes Whiskered Terns unique.

Taxonomy, classification See Whiskered Tern at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat 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 Arabia Whiskered Terns, nominate race "hybridus", are mostly found on passage or as winter visitors, especially along the East coast. Whiskered Terns can be found in estuaries and flooded saltmarshes, but also in the shallows of freshwater lakes and ephemeral lakes, especially with emerging vegetation.

Sightings Click here for sighting information We have not seen Whiskered Terns in Oman yet, but have spotted race "hybridus" in Europe. We have spotted race "javanicus" in Australia.

Photos

Race "hybridus"

There are no photos of Whiskered Terns from Oman yet, but we have photographed race "hybridus" in Europe.

Race "javanicus"

We have photographed race "javanicus" in Australia.

Food, Diet

Whiskered Terns feed on crustaceans, which they dig out of mud under shallow water (both saline and fresh water).

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.

Disclaimer: Comments are always welcome. We give no guarantee that the information presented on these pages is always correct or up-to-date. External links are marked as such and we take no responsibility for the contents of external pages. All images on this site are protected by copyright & used by permission of the respective owners. If you wish to reproduce them or any of the material presented on this web site, please contact us: We hereby acknowledge the original custodians of the land which is described on these pages, including the Gomeroi/Gamilaraay people of the North-west Slopes and Plains of NSW, and the traditional owners of other lands and nations within this country. We acknowledge elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.          Last updated: Wed, 4 April 2018, 23:40 +00:00