South American Tern
South American TernSouth American TernSouth American TernSouth American Tern

South American Tern

Sterna hirundinacea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Likely
overall probability at Península Valdés
150 Verified records at Península Valdés
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The South American tern (Sterna hirundinacea) is a species of tern found in coastal regions of southern South America, including the Falkland Islands, ranging north to Peru (Pacific coast) and Brazil (Atlantic coast). It is generally the most common tern in its range. The smaller, highly migratory common tern closely resembles it. The specific epithet refers to the "swallow-like" forked tail feathering. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a South American Tern sighting in Península Valdés, based on 150 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Península Valdés

Common Tern
LC

Common Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna hirundo

Insufficient data
Snowy-crowned Tern
LC

Snowy-crowned Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna trudeaui

Insufficient data
Dominican Gull
LC

Dominican Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus dominicanus

90–100% · Very likely
Dolphin Gull

Dolphin Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus scoresbii

40–50% · Possible
Royal Tern

Royal Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus maximus

30–40% · Possible
Brown-hooded Gull

Brown-hooded Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus maculipennis

20–30% · Possible
Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus sandvicensis

20–30% · Possible
Cabot's Tern

Cabot's Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus acuflavidus

Insufficient data
Olrog's Gull
NT

Olrog's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus atlanticus

<5% · Rare
American Oystercatcher
LC Endemic

American Oystercatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus palliatus

70–80% · Very likely
Blackish Oystercatcher
LC

Blackish Oystercatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus ater

50–60% · Likely
Snowy Sheathbill
LC

Snowy Sheathbill

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chionis albus

50–60% · Likely

📅 Monthly Probability

50–60
Jan
40–50
Feb
40–50
Mar
20–30
Apr
40–50
May
40–50
Jun
30–40
Jul
30–40
Aug
20–30
Sep
20–30
Oct
50–60
Nov
40–50
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
40–50%
2 Tierra del Fuego National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
20–30%
3 Torres del Paine National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
5–10%
4 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
5 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
6 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a South American Tern in Península Valdés?

About 43% of wildlife watchers report a South American Tern sighting in Península Valdés, based on 150 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see South American Tern in Península Valdés?

January has the highest sighting rate for South American Tern in Península Valdés in our monthly data.

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