Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Atlantic White Tern
Gygis alba
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The Atlantic white tern (Gygis alba), also known as the common white tern, is a small seabird found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is sometimes known as the fairy tern, although this name is potentially confusing as it is also the common name of Sternula nereis. Other names for the species include angel tern and white noddy. The blue-billed white tern (Gygis candida) and the little white tern (Gygis microrhyncha) have sometimes been considered as subspecies of the Atlantic white tern.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Fernando de Noronha, Trindade, Martin Vas Rocks, Ascension, and St. Helena islands (tropical South Atlantic Ocean).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Atlantic white tern
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
