Whiskered Tern

The Whiskered Tern is a medium-sized marsh tern with a broad range spanning Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. It is the largest and stockiest of the marsh terns, favoring inland wetlands over open sea coasts.

Appearance

Breeding adults show a black cap, dark slate-gray underparts and back, a red bill, red legs, and a crisp white stripe along the cheek separating the black cap from the dark throat, giving rise to the "whiskered" name. Non-breeding birds are much paler, with white underparts, a dark cap restricted to the rear crown, and a gray back.

Key field marks

• Dark gray underparts contrasting with a white cheek stripe in breeding plumage
• Red bill and red legs
• Shorter, less deeply forked tail than Black Tern
• Pale gray, unmarked underwing in flight

Similar species

Black Tern is smaller and slimmer with black (not dark gray) underparts and a shorter bill in breeding plumage. White-winged Tern has whiter wings and black underwing coverts in breeding dress. Common Tern and other "true" terns are larger, paler, and lack the dark breeding underparts entirely.

Habitat and range

Whiskered Terns breed colonially on shallow, vegetated freshwater wetlands, including marshes, lakes, and flooded rice fields, across a broad range from southern Europe and Africa through the Middle East and Asia to Australia.

Migration

Populations in temperate regions migrate to winter in tropical wetlands of Africa, South Asia, and Australasia, while some populations in warmer climates are largely resident. The species readily uses artificial wetlands such as rice paddies and fish ponds.

Behavior

Whiskered Terns forage low over water, dipping to the surface to snatch insects, small fish, and amphibians, and frequently hawk flying insects in the air above wetlands.

Voice

The call is a short, harsh "kek" or "krek," typically given in flight or when alarmed near the nest.

Nesting and breeding

They nest colonially, often alongside other marsh terns and waterbirds, building a floating or semi-floating nest of aquatic vegetation anchored to emergent plants. Clutches typically number two to three eggs, with both parents sharing incubation and chick care.