Data Zone
Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Christidis, L. and Boles, W.E. 2008. Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood, Australia.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A. and Fishpool, L.D.C. 2014. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.
Turbott, E.G. 1990. Checklist of the Birds of New Zealand. Ornithological Society of New Zealand, Wellington.
| Critically Endangered | Endangered | Vulnerable |
|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| Year | Category | Criteria |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Least Concern | |
| 2012 | Least Concern | |
| 2009 | Least Concern | |
| 2008 | Least Concern | |
| 2004 | Least Concern | |
| 2000 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1994 | Lower Risk/Least Concern | |
| 1988 | Lower Risk/Least Concern |
| Migratory status | full migrant | Forest dependency | does not normally occur in forest |
| Land-mass type | Average mass | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | |
|---|---|---|
| Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) | 139,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) | 130,000,000 km2 | medium |
| Severely fragmented? | no | - |
| Estimate | Data quality | Derivation | Year of estimate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | unknown | poor | estimated | 2012 |
| Population trend | stable | - | suspected | - |
| Generation length | 9.9 years | - | - | - |
Population justification: The global population is estimated to number c.300,000-1,500,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2015). The European population is estimated at 66,300-108,000 pairs, which equates to 133,000-215,000 mature individuals (BirdLife International 2015). National population estimates include: c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 individuals on migration in China; c.50-10,000 wintering individuals in Taiwan; < c.1,000 individuals on migration in Korea; c.50-1,000 individuals on migration and < c.50 wintering individuals in Japan and c.100-10,000 breeding pairs and c.50-1,000 individuals on migration in Russia (Brazil 2009).
Trend justification: The overall population trend is fluctuating, although some populations are stable and others have unknown trends (Wetlands International 2015). The European population trend is estimated to be increasing (BirdLife International 2015).
| Country/Territory | Presence | Origin | Resident | Breeding visitor | Non-breeding visitor | Passage migrant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afghanistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Albania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Algeria | extant | native | ||||
| Angola | extant | native | ||||
| Armenia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Australia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Austria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Azerbaijan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bahrain | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bangladesh | extant | native | ||||
| Barbados | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Belarus | extant | native | yes | |||
| Belgium | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Benin | extant | native | yes | |||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | extant | native | yes | |||
| Botswana | extant | native | ||||
| Brunei | extant | native | ||||
| Bulgaria | extant | native | yes | |||
| Burkina Faso | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Burundi | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Cambodia | extant | native | ||||
| Cameroon | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Cape Verde | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Central African Republic | extant | native | ||||
| Chad | extant | native | ||||
| China (mainland) | extant | native | ||||
| Christmas Island (to Australia) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Congo, The Democratic Republic of the | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Côte d'Ivoire | extant | native | ||||
| Croatia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Cyprus | extant | native | ||||
| Czechia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Denmark | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Djibouti | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Egypt | extant | native | ||||
| Equatorial Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Eritrea | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Eswatini | extant | native | ||||
| Ethiopia | extant | native | ||||
| Finland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| France | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Gambia | extant | native | ||||
| Germany | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ghana | extant | native | ||||
| Gibraltar (to UK) | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Greece | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Guam (to USA) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Guinea-Bissau | extant | native | ||||
| Hong Kong (China) | extant | native | ||||
| Hungary | extant | native | yes | |||
| Iceland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| India | extant | native | ||||
| Indonesia | extant | native | ||||
| Iran, Islamic Republic of | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Iraq | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Ireland | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Israel | extant | native | yes | |||
| Italy | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Japan | extant | native | ||||
| Jordan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kazakhstan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Kenya | extant | native | ||||
| Kuwait | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Laos | extant | native | ||||
| Latvia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Lebanon | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Lesotho | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Liberia | extant | native | ||||
| Libya | extant | native | ||||
| Lithuania | extant | native | yes | |||
| Luxembourg | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Madagascar | extant | native | ||||
| Malawi | extant | native | ||||
| Malaysia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Maldives | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mali | extant | native | ||||
| Malta | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Mauritania | extant | native | ||||
| Micronesia, Federated States of | extant | native | yes | |||
| Moldova | extant | native | ||||
| Mongolia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Montenegro | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Morocco | extant | native | ||||
| Mozambique | extant | native | ||||
| Myanmar | extant | native | ||||
| Namibia | extant | native | ||||
| Nepal | extant | native | ||||
| New Zealand | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Niger | extant | native | ||||
| Nigeria | extant | native | ||||
| North Macedonia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Northern Mariana Islands (to USA) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Norway | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Oman | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Pakistan | extant | native | ||||
| Palau | extant | native | yes | |||
| Palestine | extant | native | yes | |||
| Papua New Guinea | extant | native | ||||
| Philippines | extant | native | ||||
| Poland | extant | native | yes | |||
| Portugal | extant | native | yes | |||
| Qatar | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Romania | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Russia (Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (Central Asian) | extant | native | yes | |||
| Russia (European) | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Rwanda | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Saudi Arabia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Senegal | extant | native | ||||
| Serbia | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Seychelles | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Sierra Leone | extant | native | ||||
| Singapore | extant | native | ||||
| Slovakia | extant | native | yes | |||
| Somalia | extant | native | ||||
| South Africa | extant | native | ||||
| South Korea | extant | native | ||||
| South Sudan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Spain | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Sri Lanka | extant | native | ||||
| Sudan | extant | native | ||||
| Sweden | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Switzerland | extant | native | ||||
| Syria | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Taiwan, China | extant | native | ||||
| Tajikistan | extant | native | ||||
| Tanzania | extant | native | ||||
| Thailand | extant | native | yes | |||
| Timor-Leste | extant | native | yes | |||
| Togo | extant | native | ||||
| Tunisia | extant | native | ||||
| Türkiye | extant | native | yes | |||
| Turkmenistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Uganda | extant | native | ||||
| Ukraine | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Arab Emirates | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| United Kingdom | extant | vagrant | ||||
| USA | extant | vagrant | ||||
| Uzbekistan | extant | native | yes | |||
| Vietnam | extant | native | yes | |||
| Western Sahara | extant | native | ||||
| Yemen | extant | native | yes | yes | ||
| Zambia | extant | native | ||||
| Zimbabwe | extant | native |
| Habitat (level 1) | Habitat (level 2) | Importance | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Irrigated Land (includes irrigation channels) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land | suitable | breeding |
| Artificial/Aquatic & Marine | Artificial/Aquatic - Seasonally Flooded Agricultural Land | suitable | non-breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | breeding |
| Marine Intertidal | Salt Marshes (Emergent Grasses) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Bogs, Marshes, Swamps, Fens, Peatlands | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha) | suitable | non-breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools | suitable | breeding |
| Wetlands (inland) | Seasonal/Intermittent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools | suitable | non-breeding |
| Altitude | 0 - 2000 m | Occasional altitudinal limits |
| Purpose | Scale |
|---|---|
| Food - human | subsistence, national |
| Pets/display animals, horticulture | international |
| Sport hunting/specimen collecting | subsistence, national |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/whiskered-tern-chlidonias-hybrida on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.