Common Tern

Sterna hirundo

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Cordats)
ClassAves (Aus)
OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
GenusSterna (Typical Terns)
SpeciesSterna hirundo (Common Tern)

Insufficient data

overall probability at Wilpattu National Park

1 Verified records at Wilpattu National Park

☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Wilpattu National Park

Chlidonias hybrida

40–50% · Likely

Gelochelidon nilotica

10–20% · With luck

Sternula albifrons

5–10% · With luck

Chlidonias leucopterus

<5% · Rare

Hydroprogne caspia

<5% · Rare

Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus

Insufficient data

Thalasseus bengalensis

Insufficient data

LC Endemic

Vanellus indicus

70–80% · Very likely

Himantopus himantopus

50–60% · Likely

Esacus recurvirostris

30–40% · Possible

Tringa glareola

30–40% · Possible

Pluvialis fulva

30–40% · Possible

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

📅 Monthly Probability

📊

Fewer than 5 records of Common Tern at Wilpattu National Park — not enough to chart months honestly.

☀️ When They're Spotted

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

☀️Diurnal

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	Fertő-Hanság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	30–40%
2	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	20–30%
3	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	20–30%
4	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	20–30%
5	Hortobágy National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	10–20%
6	Białowieża National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	10–20%
7	Wadden Sea National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	10–20%
8	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	10–20%
9	Kiskunság National Park	🇭🇺 Hungary	10–20%
10	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	10–20%
11	Jaragua National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	10–20%
12	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	5–10%
13	Biebrza National Park	🇵🇱 Poland	5–10%
14	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	5–10%
15	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	5–10%
16	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	5–10%
17	Isla del Coco National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	5–10%
18	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	5–10%
19	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
20	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
21	Yala National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	<5%
22	Bavarian Forest National Park	🇩🇪 Germany	<5%
23	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
24	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
25	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	<5%
26	Doñana National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
27	Sundarbans National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
28	Ningaloo Marine Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
29	Gauja National Park	🇱🇻 Latvia	<5%
30	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
31	Tsavo East National Park	🇰🇪 Kenya	<5%
32	Bali Barat National Park	🇮🇩 Indonesia	<5%
33	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
34	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
35	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
36	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
37	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	<5%
38	Tatra National Park	🇸🇰 Slovakia	<5%
39	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
40	Snowdonia National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	<5%
41	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
42	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
43	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
44	Taroko National Park	🇹🇼 Taiwan	<5%
45	Cairngorms National Park	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	<5%
46	Pyrénées National Park	🇫🇷 France	<5%
47	Hemis National Park	🇮🇳 India	<5%
48	Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park	🇲🇳 Mongolia	<5%
49	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
50	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
51	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
52	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
53	Daintree National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
54	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
55	Monfragüe National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
56	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
57	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
58	Sierra de Guadarrama National Park	🇪🇸 Spain	<5%
59	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
60	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
61	Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
62	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
63	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
64	Main Ridge Forest Reserve	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
65	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	Insufficient data
66	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
67	Península Valdés	🇦🇷 Argentina	Insufficient data
68	Noosa National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
69	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
70	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
71	Wilpattu National Park	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	Insufficient data
72	Caroni Swamp	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	Insufficient data
73	Wilsons Promontory National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
74	Los Haitises National Park	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	Insufficient data
75	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
76	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
77	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
78	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data
79	Ranomafana National Park	🇲🇬 Madagascar	Insufficient data
80	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	Insufficient data
81	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
82	Royal National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	Insufficient data
83	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
84	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	Insufficient data
85	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
86	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	Insufficient data

← Back to Wilpattu National Park

Common Tern

Closest Relatives at Wilpattu National Park

Whiskered Tern

Gull-billed Tern

Little Tern

White-winged Tern

Caspian Tern

Brown-headed Gull

Lesser Crested Tern

Red-wattled Lapwing

Black-winged Stilt

Great Thick-knee

Wood Sandpiper

Pacific Golden-Plover

📅 Monthly Probability

☀️ When They're Spotted

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found