Home › Aves › Laridae › Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)
SPECIES PROFILE
Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida)
Chlidonias
IUCN STATUS
Least Concern
CONSERVATION STATUS
Least Concern
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Indian subcontinent Europe Africa
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Coastal wetlands lakes marshes
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Charadriiformes
FAMILY
Laridae
GENUS
Chlidonias
📋 Description
SIZE
23-25 cm long 60-80 g
COLORATION
Grey upperparts white underparts black cap red bill
ADAPTATIONS
Agile flight for skimming water forked tail
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Coastal wetlands lakes marshes
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Indian subcontinent Europe Africa
REPRODUCTION
Lays 2-3 eggs in floating nests incubated 18-22 days
DIET DETAILS
Insects small fish crustaceans
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Wetland drainage pollution
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Whiskered Skimmers: Whiskered Terns skim with 70-gram bodies catching 20 grams of insects daily in Bharatpur's wetlands. Their whiskers are subtle.
2
Colonial Breeders: These terns cover 3000 sq km in Odisha's marshes nesting on vegetation. Habitat loss threatens their sites.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan
Chilika Lake in Odisha
Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary in Gujarat
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
Watch whiskered terns skimming over water surfaces
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
October-March Dry season concentrates prey for spotting terns
