BirdUp · Species
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida(Pallas, 1811)
Updated
- Order
- CHARADRIIFORMES
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Chlidonias
At a glance
The Whiskered Tern is a medium-sized bird, about 23–25 cm long, native to Australia. It can be seen year-round.
- Size
- 23–25 cm
- Origin
- Native
- Best seen
- Year-round
- Commonness
- Very common
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
What does a Whiskered Tern look like?
The Whiskered Tern is a medium-sized bird, about 23–25 cm long and weighing 60–110 g.
The whiskered tern is a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khelidonios, "swallow-like", from khelidon, "swallow". The specific hybridus is Latin for hybrid; Peter Simon Pallas thought it might be a hybrid of white-winged black tern and common tern, writing "Sterna fissipes [Chlidonias leucopterus] et Hirundine [Sterna hirundo] natam".
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
03 · When
When to look
When can you see a Whiskered Tern?
The Whiskered 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
What does a Whiskered Tern eat?
The Whiskered Tern feeds on terrestrial invertebrates, terrestrial vertebrates, fish/invertebrates and fish/invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks.
06 · Gallery
Plumage up close
5 photos
The BirdUp app
Log your next Whiskered Tern in the field
A pocket field journal for 850+ Australian birds. Offline-first, smart ID, and a lifelist that travels with you.