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Mainly coastal, but also occurs inland locally.
Vulnerable
At a glance
FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers
SizeMedium
RarityCommon
HabitatCoastlines, harbours, offshore waters, estuaries, headlands, beaches, and large inland water when conditions suit.
Best timeMost reliable in New South Wales from December to January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Roland Arnison
Range map
Range map
1158visible hotspots
46222visible records
6states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Tiny, delicate-looking tern. Breeding plumage has black cap with white forehead chevron, black-tipped yellow bill. Readily identified by tiny size, though wintering adults can be confusingly similar in patterning to Common Tern; look out for black stripes extending from the shoulder to the wingtip. Often overlooked unless noisy and mobbing you at a colony.
Behavior
Breeds colonially on sandy and stony substrates, at times with other terns, from beaches to riverbanks and lakeshores. Flies with hurried deep wingbeats; splash dives in water to catch small fish.
Gallery