White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusChlidonias (Marsh Terns)
- SpeciesChlidonias leucopterus (White-winged Tern)
The white-winged tern or white-winged black tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) is a species of tern in the family Laridae. It is a small species generally found in or near bodies of fresh water across much of the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khelidonios, "swallow-like", from khelidon, "swallow". The name 'white-winged tern' is the standard in most English-speaking countries; in the United Kingdom, this name is also the one used by the formal ornithological recording authorities, but the older alternative 'white-winged black tern' is still frequent in popular use. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a White-winged Tern sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 23 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Namib-Naukluft National Park
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
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
Damara Tern
Sternula balaenarum
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Sabine's Gull
Xema sabini
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
📅 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 White-winged Tern in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
About 2% of wildlife watchers report a White-winged Tern sighting in Namib-Naukluft National Park, based on 23 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see White-winged Tern in Namib-Naukluft National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for White-winged Tern in Namib-Naukluft National Park in our monthly data.