Whiskered tern
Chlidonias hybrida
Andrey Moskvichev · Karlinsky Floodplain Landscape Park
Key facts in one look
- Size
- 24–28 cm, wingspan up to 63 cm
- Diet
- Insects, frogs, tadpoles, small fish, crustaceans
- Status in Georgia
- Breeding bird, migrant
- Recorded regions
- Kvemo Kartli; Adjara; Shida Kartli
- Habitat
- Lakes, marshes, fish ponds, reservoirs
- Family
- Laridae
- Conservation
- Global LC (2025); Georgia LC (2024)
The whiskered tern builds its nest on the water: it gathers water plants and piles them on floating or emergent stems. It is the largest of the marsh terns, 24–28 cm long with a wingspan of up to 63 cm. In summer it has a black cap, dark grey plumage on the body, a white stripe across the cheeks, and a red bill and legs. In winter it is much paler and its forehead turns white. It is harmless to people. If in summer you see a dark-bellied tern skimming low over a lake, it is most likely a whiskered tern. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a breeding bird and a migrant. In Georgia it is seen mainly from April to October, most often in July. Most records come from Kvemo Kartli, at Jandari Lake, followed by Adjara, at the Chorokhi Delta, and Shida Kartli, at Nadarbazevi Lake. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC).
Identification
Whiskered tern: how to identify it
In summer it is easy to recognise: a black cap, a dark grey breast and belly, white cheeks and a red bill. In winter it is pale grey with a white forehead. The tail is short and slightly forked, as in the other marsh terns.
In breeding plumage it is dark grey above and below, with a black cap and, below the cap, white cheeks, throat and undertail. The bill and legs are red. The rump is pale grey all year.
It is 24–28 cm long, with a wingspan of up to 63 cm. The bill is strong: 29–34 mm in males, 25–27 mm and stubbier in females. Its size and purposeful flight recall a common tern, but the short tail and dark plumage are typical of marsh terns.
In winter the forehead turns white and the body becomes much paler grey. The back of the head is black, flecked with white. Young birds have a ginger, scaly pattern on the back and otherwise look like winter adults. The call is a harsh "krekk".
Colour
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
It is a bird of marshes and lakes. It prefers freshwater marshes with scattered pools, especially where cattle or horses graze the vegetation around them. It occurs on lakes, rivers, fish ponds, reservoirs, flooded salt marshes and rice fields, from sea level up to 2000 m. In Georgia most records come from Kvemo Kartli: from Jandari Lake, especially in July, and also from Kumisi Lake, Gardabani Municipality and Rustavi. In Adjara it is seen mainly in the Chorokhi Delta and near Batumi, in May and September. In Shida Kartli the records come mainly from Nadarbazevi Lake, from May to August. There are single records from the Tbilisi Sea, Bazaleti Lake, Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki municipalities and Lake Inkit.
The whiskered tern map combines public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records. Record counts reflect observation effort rather than population density. Three regions have enough records: Kvemo Kartli, Adjara and Shida Kartli.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Several records in one spot
- Photo record
- Region with records
It eats aquatic and land insects: diving beetles, dragonflies and their larvae, grasshoppers, flying ants and mosquitoes. It also takes spiders, frogs, tadpoles, small crabs, shrimps and small fish. It flies low over the water with its bill pointed down, and when it spots prey it drops to the water, often dipping in slightly.
Northern birds are fully migratory, while tropical breeders stay put or move short distances. European and Asian birds winter in Africa and the Indian subcontinent. After breeding they leave from late July to September and return in April and May. It sometimes hunts alone, but more often in small groups, and on migration and in winter in large flocks mixed with other species. It breeds from May to early June in colonies of 10–100 pairs. Neighbouring nests are 1–5 m apart. It sometimes nests among black-headed gulls, which give it some protection. The nest is a heap of water plants or dry grass on floating or emergent vegetation over water 60–80 cm deep, or on the bottom of very shallow water. The female usually lays 3 eggs, rarely 2. Both parents incubate for 18 days. The chicks start to fly at about 3 weeks. It usually forages within 1 km of the colony, sometimes up to 9 km away.
Globally the whiskered tern is rated Least Concern (LC, 2025). A 2021 estimate puts the number of mature birds at 200,000–900,000, but some populations are poorly known and the number could be much higher. The trend is unknown: some populations are stable or increasing, while the trends of the largest ones are unknown. In Europe it is threatened by wetland drainage, the canalisation of rivers, disturbance near breeding sites, insecticide pollution and eutrophication, as well as more intensive fishing and bycatch in nets. Many nests are lost to bad weather. In Italy coypus destroy nests, and in India and Ukraine people collect the eggs. The species is listed in Appendix II of the Bern Convention. The 2024 Georgian checklist also rates it Least Concern (LC) in Georgia.
Related guides
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Yes. The 2024 Georgian checklist lists it as a breeding bird and a migrant. It is seen mainly from April to October, most often in July. It spends the winter in Africa or the Indian subcontinent.
Most records come from Jandari Lake, especially in July. It is often seen in the Chorokhi Delta, in May and September, and at Nadarbazevi Lake, from May to August. It has also been seen at Kumisi Lake, in Gardabani Municipality and at the Tbilisi Sea. Look for it over the water on lakes and marshes.
In summer by its black cap, dark grey breast and belly, white cheeks and red bill. In winter it is pale grey, with a white forehead and black flecks on the back of the head. The tail is short and slightly forked. The call is a harsh "krekk".
It is 24–28 cm long, with a wingspan of up to 63 cm. Males have a bill of 29–34 mm, females 25–27 mm. It is the largest of the marsh terns.
Mainly aquatic and land insects: dragonflies, diving beetles, grasshoppers and mosquitoes. It also eats spiders, frogs, tadpoles, small crustaceans and fish. It flies low over the water and drops onto its prey.
In colonies of 10–100 pairs, from May to early June. The nest is a heap of water plants on floating or emergent vegetation. The female usually lays 3 eggs, both parents incubate for 18 days, and the chicks start to fly at about 3 weeks.
It is harmless to people. Both globally and in Georgia it is rated Least Concern (LC), although its population trend is unknown. Wetland drainage, water pollution and disturbance near breeding sites threaten it. If you find an injured bird, call 112 or the environmental protection service.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
