Birds · Charadriiformes · Laridae

Sandwich Tern

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Sandwich tern is a medium-sized tern with a black bill tipped in yellow, as though it had been dipped in mustard, and a ragged black crest on the nape while breeding. It forms dense colonies on islets, saltpans and deltas, and fishes by plunging from several metres up. In Spain it breeds in the Ebro Delta and in southern saltpans, and is abundant on passage and in winter all along the coast.

Weight

180 g – 300 g

Size

37 cm – 43 cm

Lifespan

30 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanFreshwaterCarnivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Ocean Freshwater

56countries 30parks19same family

Fun facts

GeneralIts black bill with its yellow tip looks as though it has been dipped in mustard.
The yellow tip of its black bill is its diagnostic feature and the quickest way to separate it from the other European terns in the field.
Its colonies often settle inside or next to black-headed gull colonies, using the gulls' aggression towards predators as a collective shield.