Peruvian Tern
Photo: David F. Belmonte · CC BY 4.0

Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls

Peruvian Tern

Sternula lorata

ENEndangered
Family
Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
Order
Charadriiformes

Overview

The Peruvian tern (Sternula lorata) is a species of tern in the family Laridae.
Found in northern Chile, Ecuador, and Peru, its natural habitats are hot deserts, sandy shores, and coastal saline lagoons. It is threatened by habitat loss.
In Spanish, it is known as the "charrancito Peruano" or "gaviotín chico".

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Breeds patchily on arid Humboldt Current coasts of central Ecuador southward to northern Chile; winters coastally in same region.

Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.

Continents

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.