Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusThalasseus (Crested Terns)
- SpeciesThalasseus sandvicensis (Sandwich Tern)
The Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) is a tern in the family Laridae. It is very closely related to the lesser crested tern (T. bengalensis), Chinese crested tern (T. bernsteini), Cabot's tern (T. acuflavidus), and elegant tern (T. elegans) and has been known to interbreed with both elegant and lesser crested terns. It breeds in the Palearctic from Europe to the Caspian Sea, and winters in the Mediterranean and on the coasts of Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. The Sandwich tern is a medium-large tern with pale silvery-grey upperparts, white underparts, a yellow-tipped black bill, and a shaggy black crest which becomes less extensive in winter with a white crown. Young birds bear grey and blackish scalloped plumage on their backs and wings. It is a vocal bird. Wikipedia →
5–10% of wildlife watchers report a Sandwich Tern sighting in Biotopo Cerro Cahuí, based on 9 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Biotopo Cerro Cahuí
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Northern Jacana
Jacana spinosa
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
Pomarine Jaeger
Stercorarius pomarinus
Least Sandpiper
Calidris minutilla
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Black-necked Stilt
Himantopus mexicanus
📅 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 Sandwich Tern in Biotopo Cerro Cahuí?
About 6% of wildlife watchers report a Sandwich Tern sighting in Biotopo Cerro Cahuí, based on 9 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Sandwich Tern in Biotopo Cerro Cahuí?
February has the highest sighting rate for Sandwich Tern in Biotopo Cerro Cahuí in our monthly data.