BirdUp · Species
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia(Pallas, 1770)
Updated
- Order
- CHARADRIIFORMES
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Hydroprogne
At a glance
The Caspian Tern is a large bird, about 47–54 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.
- Size
- 47–54 cm
- Origin
- Native
- Best seen
- Year-round
- Commonness
- Very common
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
What does a Caspian Tern look like?
The Caspian Tern is a large bird, about 47–54 cm long.
The Caspian tern is the world's largest species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no accepted subspecies. The genus name is from Ancient Greek hudro-, "water-", and Latin progne, "swallow". The specific caspia is from Latin and, like the English name, refers to the Caspian Sea.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
03 · When
When to look
When can you see a Caspian Tern?
The Caspian Tern is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
4 photos
The BirdUp app
Log your next Caspian Tern in the field
A pocket field journal for 850+ Australian birds. Offline-first, smart ID, and a lifelist that travels with you.