Damara Tern
Sternula balaenarum
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusSternula (Small Terns)
- SpeciesSternula balaenarum (Damara Tern)
The Damara tern (Sternula balaenarum) is a species of small tern in the family Laridae which breeds in the southern summer in southern Africa and migrates to tropical African coasts to winter. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Damara Tern sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 215 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Hartlaub's Gull
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Sabine's Gull
Xema sabini
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
📅 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
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namib-Naukluft National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Addo Elephant National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Damara Tern in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
About 17% of wildlife watchers report a Damara Tern sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 215 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Damara Tern in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Damara Tern in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.