Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The Sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis) is a tern in the family Laridae. It is very closely related to the lesser crested tern (T. bengalensis), Chinese crested tern (T. bernsteini), Cabot's tern (T. acuflavidus), and elegant tern (T. elegans) and has been known to interbreed with both elegant and lesser crested terns. It breeds in the Palearctic from Europe to the Caspian Sea, and winters in the Mediterranean and on the coasts of Africa, India, and Sri Lanka.
The Sandwich tern is a medium-large tern with pale silvery-grey upperparts, white underparts, a yellow-tipped black bill, and a shaggy black crest which becomes less extensive in winter with a white crown.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Countries
- Albania
- Algeria
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belgium
- Belize
- Benin
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Djibouti
- Dominican Republic
- DR Congo
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Estonia
- Ethiopia
- Finland
- French Guiana
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- India
- Iran
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Madagascar
- Mali
- Malta
- Mauritania
- Mexico
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Netherlands
- Nicaragua
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Panama
- Peru
- Poland
- Puerto Rico
- Republic of the Congo
- Romania
- Russia
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Slovenia
- Somalia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tunisia
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
- Western Sahara
- Yemen
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Sandwich tern
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.

