Sandwich Tern

A relatively large tern with a shaggy crest and rasping call.

A recording has not been added yet. Use the identification notes below for now.

I know this bird · Record a sighting Where to look & how to find it ↓

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Season first

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Mainly spring to autumn
Where to start: Safe public harbour walls and coastal viewpoints.
What to do when you arrive: In spring and summer, scan larger pale terns from shore for a black bill with a pale tip and a shaggy black crest. Use binoculars rather than approaching resting sandbanks.

Habitat and behaviour reference: BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

SPECIES NOTESSpecies notes

How to identify it

Long black bill with a pale yellow tip, black legs, pale body and shaggy black crest; white forehead in winter. Juveniles are patterned above and may lack an obvious yellow bill tip.

Habitat

Bays, harbours, coastal waters and offshore islands.

Behaviour

Dives for fish along the coast and gathers on sandbanks during migration.

When to look

Mainly spring to autumn

Where to look

Safe public harbour walls and coastal viewpoints.

Reference photos do not show every sex, age, season or geographic form; use the identification notes too.

Further reading:BirdWatch Ireland ↗ · Wikipedia ↗

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