Whiskered Tern

The Whiskered Tern is a medium-sized marsh tern widespread across warmer parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. It shares the buoyant, surface-dipping foraging style typical of its close relatives the Black Tern and White-winged Tern, but is somewhat larger and stockier.

Appearance

Breeding adults have a black cap, dark slate-grey underparts, pale grey wings and back, and a striking white stripe along the cheek that separates the black cap from the dark throat and breast, giving rise to the name "whiskered." The bill and legs are deep red.

Key field marks

• Dark grey underparts contrasting with a black cap and white cheek stripe
• Red bill and red legs
• White undertail coverts, distinguishing it from the White-winged Tern's black underwing coverts
• Relatively shallow tail fork compared to sea terns
• Buoyant flight, foraging low over marshes and lakes

Similar species

The Whiskered Tern can be confused with the Black Tern and White-winged Tern, but its paler grey (not black) underparts, white cheek stripe, and red bill and legs help distinguish it. Non-breeding birds are much paler and require close attention to head pattern and bill shape.

Habitat and range

Whiskered Terns breed on freshwater wetlands with abundant floating and emergent vegetation, including marshes, lakes, and rice paddies, across southern Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Populations in temperate regions are migratory, while those in tropical areas may be resident or locally nomadic, following flooded habitats.

Outside the breeding season, birds disperse to lakes, wetlands, and sometimes coastal lagoons across a broad range spanning Africa and southern Asia.

Behavior

Whiskered Terns forage with light, buoyant flight over water, hovering briefly before dipping down to snatch insects, small fish, tadpoles, and frogs from the surface, rarely plunging fully underwater.

Voice

The call is a harsh, grating "kek" or "krekk," often given repeatedly in flight near breeding colonies.

Nesting and breeding

They nest colonially on floating vegetation such as water-lily pads or built-up platforms of aquatic plants, laying two to three eggs. Colonies can shift location from year to year depending on water levels and vegetation growth.