Limpopo
Kruger
Self-drive
Stays in LimpopoWhere to see
Where to see the Whiskered Tern in South Africa
Hosts have recorded the Whiskered Tern at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, iSimangaliso Wetland Park and De Mond Nature Reserve.
Chlidonias hybrida
Planning a trip
When and where to find the Whiskered Tern
Hosts have recorded the Whiskered Tern at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, iSimangaliso Wetland Park and De Mond Nature Reserve.
Best hours of the day
- The first hours after sunrise, and late afternoon. Birds call and feed most in the cool.
- Midday. Quieter, especially in summer heat.
Where to base yourself
- Limpopo
KwaZulu-Natal
iSimangaliso Wetland · Hluhluwe-Imfolozi
KwaZulu-NatalStays in KwaZulu-Natal
Western Cape
De Mond · Keurbooms River
Western CapeSelf-driveMalaria-freeStays in Western Cape
Ways to look
Drive yourself
Your own vehicle and pace, on the park's roads.
Where hosts record it
Species
Chlidonias hybrida
Records
675
iNaturalist observations
Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.
Questions travellers ask
A record means a host has seen the Whiskered Tern on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.
Which parks and reserves are best for the Whiskered Tern in South Africa?
Hosts on Spekboom have recorded the Whiskered Tern at stays in or beside Kruger National Park, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, De Mond Nature Reserve, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park and Keurbooms River Nature Reserve. A record means a host has seen it on the property or nearby, which makes these the places to base yourself; it is never a guarantee of a sighting on any given day.
Where can you see the Whiskered Tern in South Africa?
The Whiskered Tern is most recorded in Western Cape (39% of records), Gauteng (21% of records), KwaZulu-Natal (13% of records), based on 675 iNaturalist observations. 14 places to stay on Spekboom in South Africa have recorded the Whiskered Tern on site or nearby.
When is the best time to see the Whiskered Tern?
Sightings of the Whiskered Tern peak from Oct to Feb, based on 675 iNaturalist records. You may still see it outside those months, sightings are just less frequent.
What is the Whiskered Tern?
The whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybrida) is a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek khelidonios, "swallow-like", from khelidon, "swallow". The specific hybridus is Latin for hybrid; Pallas thought it might be a hybrid of white-winged black tern and common tern, writing " Sterna fissipes et Hirundine natam ”.
Stays that give back
Where to stay for a chance to see the Whiskered Tern
Every stay on the Whiskered Tern page lists the species its host has recorded on or near the property. A record is a sighting, never a promise.
See where to stay