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

South American Tern

Sterna hirundinacea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · Rare
overall probability at Torres del Paine National Park
62 Verified records at Torres del Paine National Park
December 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 →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a South American Tern sighting in Torres del Paine National Park, based on 62 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Torres del Paine National Park

Brown-hooded Gull

Brown-hooded Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus maculipennis

20–30% · With luck
Dominican Gull
LC

Dominican Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus dominicanus

<5% · Rare
Southern Lapwing
LC

Southern Lapwing

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Vanellus chilensis

60–70% · Likely
Magellanic Oystercatcher
LC

Magellanic Oystercatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haematopus leucopodus

10–20% · With luck
Magellanic Snipe
LC

Magellanic Snipe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gallinago magellanica

10–20% · With luck
Least Seedsnipe
LC

Least Seedsnipe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thinocorus rumicivorus

5–10% · With luck
Wilson's Phalarope
LC

Wilson's Phalarope

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Phalaropus tricolor

<5% · Rare
Baird's Sandpiper
LC

Baird's Sandpiper

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calidris bairdii

<5% · Rare
Lesser Yellowlegs
VU

Lesser Yellowlegs

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa flavipes

<5% · Rare
Hudsonian Godwit
VU

Hudsonian Godwit

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Limosa haemastica

<5% · Rare
Greater Yellowlegs
NT

Greater Yellowlegs

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Tringa melanoleuca

<5% · Rare
Gray-breasted Seedsnipe
LC

Gray-breasted Seedsnipe

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thinocorus orbignyianus

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

5–10
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
5–10
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
5–10
Nov
10–20
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 Torres del Paine National Park?

About 5% of wildlife watchers report a South American Tern sighting in Torres del Paine National Park, based on 62 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see South American Tern in Torres del Paine National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for South American Tern in Torres del Paine National Park in our monthly data.

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