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Whiskered Tern
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Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Inland freshwater marshes.
Diet: Insects, small fish.
Best time to spot: Hawks low over reeds.
When to look
A rare visitor, not a resident. There is no dependable season, though most rarities are found during spring and autumn migration. More on the season in British seabirds.
How rare is it?
The Whiskered Tern sits in our Epic tier for the UK: a scarce visitor, recorded in small numbers in most years. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- White-winged TernRare · Marshes (rare passage)
- Black TernRare · Reservoirs (passage)
- Black-winged StiltRare · Shallow freshwater marshes
- Baikal TealEpic · Marshes (very rare)
- Black DuckEpic · Marshes (very rare vagrant)
- Black-headed WagtailEpic · Marshes (very rare race)
Kit that helps
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