Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
The Whiskered Tern is a rare migrant to Britain, typically seen during the summer months, particularly in the southern and eastern regions, often near coastal wetlands and inland lakes. It is a distinctive tern species that can be spotted in the UK, although sightings are infrequent and usually involve individual birds.
Field Identification Guide
Use these features to identify Whiskered Tern in the field.
The Whiskered Tern can be identified by its dark grey back and wings, white forehead, and a distinctive white moustache-like stripe above its black bill, as well as its relatively short legs and long, forked tail.
The Whiskered Tern is slightly smaller than a Common Tern, with a more compact body.
The male Whiskered Tern has a black cap, white forehead, and a greyish-black back, with a white belly and black undertail coverts, and during the breeding season, it develops a distinctive white moustache-like stripe.
The female Whiskered Tern is similar to the male, with a slightly less pronounced black cap and a more subdued colouration overall.
The Whiskered Tern's call is a sharp, high-pitched "kyik" or "kip" sound, often repeated in a series of short, staccato notes.
Whiskered Terns are agile flyers, often hovering above the water's surface before diving to catch small fish, crustaceans, and insects, and they can be seen flying low over wetlands, scanning for prey.
The Whiskered Tern can be confused with the White-winged Black Tern, but it can be distinguished by its shorter legs, greyish-black back, and the presence of a white moustache-like stripe above its bill, as well as its more compact body and shorter tail.
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