Terns (Sternidae)
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus) - HBW 3, p. 663
French: Guifette moustac
German: Weißbart-Seeschwalbe
Spanish: Fumarel Cariblanco
Taxonomy: Sterna hybrida Pallas, 1811, southern Volga, Russia.
Genus sometimes merged into Sterna. Sterna albostriata sometimes considered a race of C. hybridus, but morphology and ecology more typical of Sterna. Race swinhoei may be inseparable from javanicus; proposed race leggei included in latter. All Eurasian populations often lumped in nominate hybridus. Six subspecies normally recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- hybridus (Pallas, 1811) - SW & C Europe through W Russia, Middle East and Transcaspia to SC & E Kazakhstan; winters mainly in Africa and also SW Asia.
- swinhoei (Mathews, 1912) - Transbaikalia, E China and Taiwan.
- indicus (Stephens, 1826) - E Iran and Pakistan to N India.
- hybridus (Pallas, 1811) - SW & C Europe through W Russia, Middle East and Transcaspia to SC & E Kazakhstan; winters mainly in Africa and also SW Asia.
- swinhoei (Mathews, 1912) - Transbaikalia, E China and Taiwan.
- indicus (Stephens, 1826) - E Iran and Pakistan to N India.
- javanicus (Horsfield, 1821) - NE India and probably Sri Lanka; winters Malaysia to Indonesia.
- sclateri (Mathews & Iredale, 1912) - Kenya to South Africa and Madagascar.
- fluviatilis (Gould, 1843) - Australia; migrates to New Guinea and Moluccas.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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The pair feeding the chicks. Locality L'Aufacada, Ebro Delta, Tarragona Province, Catalonia, Spain (ssp hybridus)
Pedro Rubio 1994 9 years ago 18 sec 4.8 -
A view of the feeding behaviour of a flock of birds Locality Werribee, Victoria, Australia (ssp javanicus)
Geoffrey Dabb 30 September 2006 4 years ago 29 sec 4.6 -
A flock of birds resting, some of them preening, in company of pelicans Locality Werribee, Victoria, Australia (ssp javanicus)
Geoffrey Dabb 30 September 2006 4 years ago 37 sec 4.6 -
An adult on the nest. Locality L'Aufacada, Ebro Delta, Tarragona Province, Catalonia, Spain (ssp hybridus)
Pedro Rubio 1994 9 years ago 13 sec 4.6 -
A bird on a post Locality Penrice Saltfields, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia (ssp fluviatilis)
Philip Griffin 30 October 2005 5 years ago 12 sec 4.1 -
Adult and chicks on the nest. Locality L'Aufacada, Ebro Delta, Tarragona Province, Catalonia, Spain (ssp hybridus)
Pedro Rubio 1994 9 years ago 21 sec 4
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winter plumage in flight
Locality Beit She'an Valley, Israel
Lior Kislev 19 November 2010 1 year ago 4.6 -
Winter plumage (it feeds together whith the Water Buffalo)
Locality Bundala National Park, Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Fran Trabalon 5 January 2012 1 week ago ADDED LAST MONTH 4.3 -
Hovering briefly before fishing.
Locality Bundala National Park, Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Fran Trabalon 5 January 2012 1 week ago ADDED LAST MONTH 4.3 -
An adult in a rice field
Locality Lisbon Region, Portugal
Jose Viana 31 May 2006 2 years ago 4.3 -
Attempting to take fish
Locality Hong Kong
Martin Hale 30 April 2010 2 weeks ago ADDED LAST MONTH 4 -
In flight
Locality Al Ruwais, Qatar
John A Thompson 20 September 2008 1 year ago 4
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flight calls of a juvenile bird Locality Groningen Province, Netherlands
(ssp hybridus)
Dusan Brinkhuizen 7 October 2004 2 years ago 3 -
Has soft kurrr or churrr calls Locality Bikaner District, Rajasthan, India
(ssp indicus)
RAM GOPAL SONI 1 March 1990 1 year ago 2.5
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