Bird Album
Peruvian Tern
Sternula lorata (Philippi & Landbeck, 1861)
24 cmLength54 gWeight
The Peruvian tern (Sternula lorata) is a species of tern in the family Laridae.
Busiest months: January · Most records: Peru, Chile, Ecuador
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: January · Most records: Peru, Chile, Ecuador
Peruvian Tern has been recorded at 9 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 3 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Humedal de ChilcaPeru247 records
- Río Lluta – DesembocaduraChile106 records
- Salinas – Lagunas de EcuasalEcuador57 records
More places
- Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de Villa – Laguna Costera y Playa MarvillaPeru25 records
- Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Pantanos de VillaPeru15 records
- Isla PucusanaPeru5 records
- Humedal Costero Poza de La ArenillaPeru4 records
- Santuario Historico Bosque de PómacPeru1 record
- Ayampe – Estuario del río AyampeEcuador1 record
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The Peruvian tern (Sternula lorata) is a species of tern in the family Laridae.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Peruvian Tern?
The Peruvian Tern is about 24 cm long and weighs around 54 g.
Where does the Peruvian Tern live?
Its breeding range: South America: coasts central Ecuador to northern Chile. It is most often recorded in Peru, Chile and Ecuador.
When is the best time to see the Peruvian Tern?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Peruvian Tern endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Peruvian Tern as Endangered.
What does the Peruvian Tern eat?
Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.
What family is the Peruvian Tern in?
It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 24 cm
- Weight
- 54 g
- Habitat
- Coast & tidal flats
- Diet
- Fish, shrimp & shellfish
- Lifestyle
- Feeds in the air
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Endangered
More measurements
- Wing
- 174 mm
- Tail
- 74 mm
- Bill
- 35 mm
- Tarsus
- 14 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
South America: coasts central Ecuador to northern Chile
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Gulls, Terns, Skimmers Laridae
- Genus
- Sternula
Other birds in the genus Sternula
Little TernSternula albifrons
Saunders's TernSternula saundersi
Least TernSternula antillarum
Yellow-billed TernSternula superciliaris
Fairy TernSternula nereis
Damara TernSternula balaenarum
African SkimmerRynchops flavirostris
Indian SkimmerRynchops albicollis
Black SkimmerRynchops niger
Atlantic White TernGygis alba
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by David F. Belmonte. ↗
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