Black-fronted Tern
Chlidonias albostriatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusChlidonias (Marsh Terns)
- SpeciesChlidonias albostriatus (Black-fronted Tern)
The black-fronted tern (Chlidonias albostriatus), sea martin, ploughboy, or tarapiroe (Māori), is a medium-small tern endemic to New Zealand. Black-fronted terns can be found in coastal habitats from the southern tip of the North Island to the eastern South Island as well as Stewart Island. Their breeding range is restricted to the South Island, where they will form breeding colonies on braided river islands. The species is globally and nationally endangered, due to its small and declining national population. Black-fronted terns are vulnerable to a range of threats, including predation by introduced mammals, habitat loss (land use changes and weed encroachment), resource abstraction (gravel and water), human disturbance, and climate change. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-fronted Tern sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park, based on 114 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Arthur's Pass National Park
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Black-billed Gull
Chroicocephalus bulleri
White-fronted Tern
Sterna striata
Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles
South Island Pied Oystercatcher
Haematopus finschi
White-headed Stilt
Himantopus leucocephalus
Wrybill
Anarhynchus frontalis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aoraki Mount Cook National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-fronted Tern in Arthur's Pass National Park?
About 24% of wildlife watchers report a Black-fronted Tern sighting in Arthur's Pass National Park, based on 114 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-fronted Tern in Arthur's Pass National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Black-fronted Tern in Arthur's Pass National Park in our monthly data.