Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusSterna (Typical Terns)
- SpeciesSterna hirundo (Common Tern)
The common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red with a black tip or all black. There are several similar species, including the partly sympatric Arctic tern, which can be separated on plumage details, leg and bill colour, or vocalisations. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Common Tern sighting in Tayrona National Natural Park, based on 14 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Tayrona National Natural Park
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
Large-billed Tern
Phaetusa simplex
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Yellow-billed Tern
Sternula superciliaris
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
📅 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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Common Tern in Tayrona National Natural Park?
About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Common Tern sighting in Tayrona National Natural Park, based on 14 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Common Tern in Tayrona National Natural Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Common Tern in Tayrona National Natural Park in our monthly data.