West African Crested Tern (Thalasseus albididorsalis)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

West African Crested Tern

Thalasseus albididorsalis (Hartert, EJO, 1921)

415 gWeight

The West African crested tern (Thalasseus albididorsalis) is a bird species in the family Laridae.

Busiest months: January–March and November · Most records: Senegal, Gambia, Ghana

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: January–March and November · Most records: Senegal, Gambia, Ghana

West African Crested Tern has been recorded at 90 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 20 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ngor – Hotel Le CalaoSenegal544 records
  2. Tanji Bird ReserveGambia164 records
  3. Winneba LagoonGhana135 records
More places
  1. Kartong WetlandGambia95 records
  2. RN TechnopoleSenegal84 records
  3. RN de SomoneSenegal65 records
  4. Sakumono LagoonGhana61 records
  5. Toubacouta – Mangrove et brousseSenegal55 records
  6. Pirang Fish PondsGambia51 records
  7. Bango – Djeuss et berges jusqu'à SanarSenegal46 records

Countries and regions with the most records

SenegalGambiaGhanaWestern SaharaAngolaGuinea-BissauSpainSierra Leone

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 West African crested tern (Thalasseus albididorsalis) is a bird species in the family Laridae. Until 2020 it was considered a subspecies of the New World royal tern, Thalasseus maximus.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the West African Crested Tern?

The West African Crested Tern weighs around 415 g.

Where does the West African Crested Tern live?

Its breeding range: Africa: coasts of Mauritania to Guinea (western Africa). It is most often recorded in Senegal, Gambia and Ghana.

When is the best time to see the West African Crested Tern?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, February, March and November (Northern Hemisphere).

What does the West African Crested Tern eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the West African Crested Tern in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight
415 g
Habitat
Ocean
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Feeds in the air
Migration
Migratory
More measurements
Wing
364 mm
Tail
154 mm
Bill
74 mm
Tarsus
33 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: coasts of Mauritania to Guinea (western Africa)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Genus
Thalasseus

Other birds in the genus Thalasseus

Sandwich TernSandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisCabot's TernCabot's TernThalasseus acuflavidusElegant TernElegant TernThalasseus elegansLesser Crested TernLesser Crested TernThalasseus bengalensisRoyal TernRoyal TernThalasseus maximusGreater Crested TernGreater Crested TernThalasseus bergiiChinese Crested TernChinese Crested TernThalasseus bernsteiniAfrican SkimmerAfrican SkimmerRynchops flavirostrisIndian SkimmerIndian SkimmerRynchops albicollisBlack SkimmerBlack SkimmerRynchops niger
West African Crested Tern

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Frédéric LEVIEZ. ↗

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