Sandwich Tern
The Sandwich tern is a tern in the family Laridae. It is very closely related to the lesser crested tern, Chinese crested tern, Cabot's tern, and elegant tern and has been known to interbreed with both elegant and lesser crested terns. It breeds in the Palearctic from Europe to the Caspian Sea, and winters in the Mediterranean and on the coasts of Africa, India, and Sri Lanka.
Summary from Wikipedia
In Türkiye
Arrives in autumn and leaves in spring; summer records are almost absent.
Most records in December–February.
Provinces where it makes up the largest share of bird records.
Adjusted for how many birdwatchers are out each month; the busiest month = 100%.
6,651 records from Türkiye · #142 of 634 species by number of records. Source: GBIF.org (October 2026). All birds of Türkiye
At a glance
The sandwich tern's slim black bill looks dipped in yellow at the tip, and it plunge-dives for fish.
Similar birds
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