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

South American Tern

Sterna hirundinacea

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Machalilla National Park
10 Verified records at Machalilla National Park
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 →

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

Closest Relatives at Machalilla National Park

Common Tern
LC

Common Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna hirundo

<5% · Rare
Laughing Gull
LC

Laughing Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus atricilla

10–20% · With luck
Inca Tern
NT

Inca Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larosterna inca

5–10% · With luck
Royal Tern

Royal Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus maximus

5–10% · With luck
Elegant Tern
NT

Elegant Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus elegans

5–10% · Rare
Franklin's Gull
LC

Franklin's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus pipixcan

<5% · Rare
Sabine's Gull
LC

Sabine's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Xema sabini

<5% · Rare
Sandwich Tern

Sandwich Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus sandvicensis

<5% · Rare
Grey-hooded Gull

Grey-hooded Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus

<5% · Rare
Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Gelochelidon nilotica

<5% · Rare
Black Skimmer
LC

Black Skimmer

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rynchops niger

<5% · Rare
Dominican Gull
LC

Dominican Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus dominicanus

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
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 Machalilla National Park?

About 1% of wildlife watchers report a South American Tern sighting in Machalilla National Park, based on 10 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see South American Tern in Machalilla National Park?

January has the highest sighting rate for South American Tern in Machalilla National Park in our monthly data.

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