Spotted in the Alentejo region of Portugal. Whiskered Tern sound
The Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida) is a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khelidonios, “swallow-like”, from khelidon, “swallow”. The specific hybridus is Latin for hybrid; Pallas thought it might be a hybrid of white-winged black tern and common tern, writing “Sterna fissipes [Chlidonias leucopterus] et Hirundine [Sterna hirundo] natam”.
More photos at the bottom of the page.
This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in size and minor plumage details.
C. h. hybrida breeds in warmer parts of Europe and Asia. The smaller-billed and darker C. h. delalandii is found in east and south Africa, and the paler C. h. javanicus from Java to Australia.
The tropical forms are resident, but European and Asian birds winter south to Africa and the Indian Subcontinent.
This species breeds in colonies on inland marshes, sometimes amongst black-headed gulls, which provide some protection. The scientific name arises from the fact that this, the largest marsh tern, show similarities in appearance to both the white Sterna terns and to black tern.
The size, black cap, strong bill (29–34 mm in males, 25–27 mm and stubbier in females, with a pronounced gonys) and more positive flight recall common or Arctic tern, but the short, forked-looking tail and dark grey breeding plumage above and below are typically marsh tern characteristics. The summer adult has white cheeks and red legs and bill. The crown is flecked with white in the juvenile, and the hindcrown is more uniformly blackish, though in the winter adult this too is flecked with white. The black ear-coverts are joined to the black of the hindcrown, and the space above is mottled with white, causing the black to appear as a C-shaped band. The sides of the neck are white; this sometimes continues across the nape. The collar is less sharply defined. All through the year the rump is pale grey. In the juvenile, the mantle (279 mm) has a variegated pattern. The feathers of the back and scapulars are dark brown, with prominent broad buff edgings and often subterminal buff bars or centers. There is usually an admixture of new gray feathers, especially on the mantle, quite early in the fall. The mantle is silvery-gray in the adult. The call is a characteristic krekk.
In winter, the forehead becomes white and the body plumage a much paler grey. Juvenile Whiskered Terns have a ginger scaly back, and otherwise look much like winter adults. The first winter plumage is intermediate between juvenile and adult winter, with patchy ginger on the back.
The Whiskered Tern eats small fish, amphibians, insects and crustaceans.
Other synonyms:
Afrikaans: Witbaardmeerswael, Witbaardmeerswael (Witbaardsterretjie), Witbaardsterretjie
Arabic: الخرشنة المشوربة
Asturian: Garrochín Caretu
Azerbaijani: Ağyanaq sterna
Belarusian: Белашчокая рыбачка, Рыбачка белашчокая
Bulgarian: Белобуза рибарка
Bengali: জুলফি পানচিল
Breton: Ar stêrwennel jobou gwenn
Catalan: Fumarell carablanc
Catalan (Balears): Fumarell carablanc
Montenegrin: bjelobrada čigra
Czech: Rybák bahenní
Welsh: Corswennol farfog
Danish: Hvidskægget Terne
German: Weissbartseeschwalbe, Weißbart-Seeschwalbe, Weiβbart-Seeschwalbe
Maldivian: kagi dhooni, valoadhoni
Greek: Λιμνογλάρονο, Μουστακογλάρονο
Greek (Cypriot): Λιμνογλάρονο
English: Marsh Tern, Whiskered Tern
English (IOC): Whiskered Tern
English (Kenya): Whiskered Tern
Spanish: Fumarel Cariblanco, Gaviotín Bigotudo
Spanish (Spain): Fumarel Cariblanco
Spanish (HBW): Fumarel cariblanco
Estonian: habeviires
Basque: Fumarell carablanc, Itsas enara musuzuria
Persian: پرستودریایی تیره
Finnish: Valkoposkitiira
Faroese: Kinnhvít terna
French: Guifette moustac
Irish: Geabhróg Bhroinndubh
Galician: Fumarell carablanc, Gaivina de cara branca
Hebrew: מירומית לבנת-לחי, מרומית לבנת לחי, מרומית לבנת־לחי, מרומית לבנת-לחי
Croatian: Bjelobrada Cigra, Bjelobrada Čigra
Hungarian: Fattyúszerkõ, Fattyúszerkő
Armenian: [Spitakaayt Jratsitsar ], Սպիտակաայտ Ջրածիծառ
Indonesian: Burung Dara Laut Berkumis, Burung Dara-laut Kumis, Dara laut berkumis, Dara laut kumis, Dara lautkumis, Daralaut Kumis, Dara-laut kumis
Icelandic: Skeggþerna
Italian: Mignattino piombato
Japanese: kuro-hara aji-sashi, kuroharaajisashi, Kurohara-ajisashi
Japanese: クロハラアジサシ
Japanese (Kanji): 黒腹鯵刺
Georgian: თეთრლოყება თევზიყლაპია, ლოყათეთრი თევზიყლაპია
Kazakh: Ақжағал қарқылдақ
Kazakh (Transliteration): aq-jağal qarqıldaq
Korean: 구레나루제비갈매기, 구레나룻제비갈매기
Korean (Transliteration): gurenarut-jebi-galmaegi
Scientific: Chlidonias hybrida, Chlidonias hybrida hybrida, Chlidonias hybridus, Chlidonias leucopareai, Sterna hybrida
Luxembourgish: Wäissbaartséischmuewel
Lithuanian: Baltaskruoste žuvedra, Baltaskruostė žuvėdra
Latvian: Baltvaigu zīriņš
Malagasy: Samby
Macedonian: Белобрада рибарка
Malayalam: കരി ആള, കരി ആള
Mongolian: Цагааншанаа хараалзай, Шанаа цагаан хараалай
Mongolian (Bichig): ᠴᠠᠭᠠᠨ ᠰᠢᠨᠠ ᠬᠠᠷᠢᠶᠠᠯᠵᠠᠢ
Mongolian (Bichig, Inner Mongolia): ᠰᠠᠬᠠᠯᠲᠣ ᠲᠡᠨᠦᠭᠦᠯ ᠴᠠᠬᠣᠯᠠᠢ
Mongolian (Cyrillic, Inner Mongolia): Сахалт тэнүүл цахлай, Шанаа цагаан хараалай
Mongolian (Transliteration): sakhalt tenüül tsakhlai, shanaa tsag aaŋ kharaalai, tsag aaŋ-shanaa kharaalzai
Moldavian: Chirighiță cu obraz alb
Malay: Burung Camar Batu Berumbai, Burung Camar Bermisai, Burung Camar Tasik, Camar Hitam Sayap Putih
Maltese: Ċirlewwa bil-Mustaċċi, Cirlewwa tal-Mustacci
Dutch: Witwangstern
Norwegian Nynorsk: Kvitkinnsvartterne
Norwegian: Hvitkinnsvartterne, Hvitkinnsvatterne
Polish: rybitwa bialowasa, rybitwa białowąsa
Pinyin: hēi-fù yàn-ōu, xū fú-ōu
Portuguese: gaivina dos pauis, Gaivina-de-faces-brancas, Gaivina-dos-pauis
Portuguese (Portugal): Gaivina-dos-pauis
Romansh: Pestgarel grisch
Romanian: Chirighiță cu obraz alb
Russian: Белощекая болотная чайка, Белощекая крачка, Белощёкая крачка, Крачка белощекая
Sindhi: د شَٕ ىً اٍي يي ريٌٍ
Slovak: čorík bahenný, čorík bielobradý, rybár bahenný
Slovenian: belobrada cigra, belolicna cigra, belolična čigra, belovrata cigra
Albanian: Dallendyshe deti faqebardhe, Dallëndyshe deti faqebardhë
Serbian: Belobrka čigra, bjelobrada cigra, bjelobrada čigra, Childonias, Белобрада чигра
Swedish: Skäggtärna
Swahili: Buabua Sharubu
Tamil: Meesai Aala
Thai: นกนางนวลแกลบเคราขาว
Thai (Transliteration): nók naaŋ-nuan-klàeep kʰraw-kʰăaw
Turkish: Beyaz-bıyıklı Deniz-kırlangıcı, Bıyıklı Sumru, byyykly sumru, Ақжағал қарқылдақ
Ukrainian: Білощокий кряок, Білощокий крячок, Крячок білощокий
Vietnamese: Chim Nhàn đen, Nhàn đen
Chinese: 须浮鸥, 鬚浮鷗, 黑腹燕鷗
Chinese (Traditional): 鬚浮鷗, 黑腹燕鷗, 黑腹燕鷗〔鬚浮鷗〕
Chinese (Taiwan, Traditional): 黑腹燕鷗
Chinese (Taiwan): 黑腹燕鸥