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Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica (Gmelin, JF 1789)
The gull-billed tern, formerly Sterna nilotica, is a tern in the family Laridae. The genus name is from Ancient Greek gelao, "to laugh", and khelidon, "swallow". The specific niloticus is from Latin and means of the Nile. The Australian gull-billed tern was previously considered a subspecies. Source: Wikipedia
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Charadriiformes
Family:
Laridae
Genus:
Gelochelidon
Scientific:
Gelochelidon nilotica
Classification
Order:Charadriiformes
Family:
Laridae
Genus:
Gelochelidon
Scientific:
Gelochelidon nilotica
Original description
Citation:
(Gmelin, JF 1789)
Reference:
Systema Naturae ed. 13, vol. 1, part 2
1 pt2 p.606
Protonym:
Sterna nilotica
Type locality:
Egypt.
Link:
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/10286#page/107/mode/1up
Avibase identifiers
Avibase ID:
87168739C37AC427
Avibase ID:
avibase-87168739
Short link:
https://avibase.ca/87168739
Taxonomic Serial Number:
TSN: 176882
Geographic range:
- Gelochelidon nilotica: local yet widespread inland, rivers and lakes from southwestern Europe to northeastern China; coastal China; coastal western North Atlantic, and Caribbean; coastal southern California and Mexico; coastal South America and inland north-central Argentina; winters to subtropical and tropical coasts (including northern Australia), worldwide (except remote islands)
- Gelochelidon nilotica nilotica: breeds inland southern Europe and northern Africa eastward through the Middle East to Inner Mongolia (northeastern China) and southward to Indus Valley (Pakistan); winters tropical Africa and Persian Gulf to India
- Gelochelidon nilotica aranea: breeds coastal New England southward to southeastern Mexico, Greater Antilles, and Virgin Islands; winters Central America to Peru and Brazil
- Gelochelidon nilotica vanrossemi: breeds California to northern Baja California and Sinaloa northwestern Mexico; winters to Ecuador
- Gelochelidon nilotica affinis: breeds from southeastern Siberia southward to eastern and southeastern China (Bohai Gulf to Guangdong); winters mainly in southeastern Asia, some reaching the Indian subcontinent and northern Australia
- Gelochelidon nilotica gronvoldi: breeds patchily coasts and rivers from Ecuador and French Guiana southward to northeastern Argentina
- Show more...
Source: Clements checklist
Gull-billed Tern
Afrikaans:
Oostelike Seeswael (Oostelike Sterretjie)
Arabic:
خرشنة نيلية
Azerbaijani:
Qağayıburun susüpürən
Bulgarian:
Дебелоклюна рибарка
Bengali:
কালাঠোঁট পানচিল
Catalan:
curroc
Czech:
rybák černozobý
Danish:
Sandterne
German:
Lachseeschwalbe
Greek:
Γελογλάρονο
Esperanto:
mevbeka ŝterno
Spanish:
Pagaza piconegra
Spanish (Spain):
Pagaza piconegra
Estonian:
Naerutiir
Basque:
Txenada mokobeltza
Persian:
پرستودریایی نوککاکایی
Finnish:
hietatiira
French:
Sterne hansel
Hebrew:
שחפית עבת-מקור
Croatian:
debelokljuna čigra
Hungarian:
kacagócsér
Indonesian:
Dara-laut tiram
Icelandic:
Sandþerna
Italian:
Sterna zampenere
Japanese (romaji):
hashi-buto aji-sashi
Japanese:
ハシブトアジサシ
Korean:
큰부리제비갈매기
Lithuanian:
kirasnapė žuvėdra
Latvian:
kāpu zīriņš
Nepali:
गंगाचीलठू“डे ङ्घयालङ्घयाले
Dutch:
Lachstern
Norwegian:
Sandterne
Polish:
rybitwa krótkodzioba
Portuguese:
trinta-réis-de-bico-preto / tagaz
Portuguese (Brazil):
trinta-réis-de-bico-preto
Portuguese (Portugal):
tagaz-comum
Romanian:
Pescăriţă râzătoare
Russian:
Чайконосая крачка
Slovak:
rybárka krátkozobá
Slovenian:
črnonoga čigra
Serbian:
Debelokljuna čigra
Swedish:
sandtärna
Thai:
นกนางนวลแกลบปากหนา
Turkish:
Gülen Sumru
Ukrainian:
крячок чорнодзьобий
Chinese:
鸥嘴噪鸥
Chinese (Traditional):
鷗嘴燕鷗
Authorities recognizing this taxonomic concept:
| American Ornithologists' Society 7th edition (incl. 65th suppl.): Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) |
| American Ornithologists' Society 7th edition (incl. 66th suppl.): Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts (current): Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2023 (May 2023): Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2024 (Oct 2024): Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 2025 (Nov 2025): Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 03 (March 2015): Gull-billed Tern [nominate] ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica]) |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 04 (Aug 2016): Gull-billed Tern [nominate] ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica]) |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 05 (Jan 2017): Gull-billed Tern [nominate] ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica]) |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 06 (Feb 2018): Gull-billed Tern [nominate] ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica]) |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 07 (Feb 2020): Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Avibase taxonomic concepts v. 08 (Feb 2021): Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Avilist 2025: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 07 (Jul 2014): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 08 (Oct 2015): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 09 (Dec 2016): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Birdlife checklist version 09.1 (Jun 2017): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v2 (Dec 2017): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v3 (Nov 2018): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v4 (Dec 2019): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v5 (Dec 2020): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6 (Dec 2021): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v6b (Jul 2022): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v7 (Dec 2022): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v8 (Dec 2023): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v9 (Oct 2024): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist v10 (Oct 2025): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2023: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2024: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Clements, version 2025: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2015: Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed) ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica Group]) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2016: Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed) ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica Group]) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2017: Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed) ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica Group]) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2018: Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed) ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica Group]) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2019: Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed) ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica Group]) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2021: Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed) ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica Group]) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2022: Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed) ( Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica Group]) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2023: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2024: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| eBird version 2025: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (31/01/2015): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (03/07/2017): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Handbook of the Birds of the World and Birdlife (Dec 2017): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| Handbook of the Birds of the World and Birdlife (Dec 2018): Common Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 9.2: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 10.1: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 10.2: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 11.1: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 11.2: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 12.1: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 12.2: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 13.1: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 13.2: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 14.1: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 14.2: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
| IOC World Bird Names, version 15.1: Gull-billed Tern ( Gelochelidon nilotica) [version 1] |
Taxonomic status:
Species status: full species (sometimes nominal subspecies)
This taxon is considered a subspecies of
Gelochelidon [nilotica or macrotarsa]
(sensu lato) by some authors
Your sightings
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Other synonyms
See also the taxonomic synonyms table.
Afrikaans: Lagsterretjie, Oostelike Seeswael (Oostelike Sterretjie), Oostelike Sterretjie (Oostelike)
Arabic: خرشنة نيلية, خرشنة نيلية ( نيلية) (مجموعة)
Asturian: Garrochín picucurtiu, Garrochín picucurtiu (grupo nilotica)
Azerbaijani: qağayıbaş susüpürən, qağayıburun sterna, qağayıburun susüpürən, Qağayıburun susüpürən [nilotica qrupu], qırmızıayaq qağayıburun
Bashkir: бүрекле сарлаҡ, ҡарабаш күксәй, керелдәк сарлаҡ, көләпәрәле сарлаҡ
Belarusian: Чайканосая крычка
Bulgarian: Дебелоклюна рибарка, Дебелоклюна рибарка (Група nilotica), Дебелоклюна рибарка [Група nilotica]
Bengali: কারামঠাুঁট ানচচর , কালাঠোঁট পানচিল
Bengali (Bangladesh): কালাঠোঁট পানচিল
Bengali (India): কালাঠোঁট পানচিল
Bengali (transliteration): kālāṭhōm̐ṭa pānacila
Breton: Skrav beg tev
Catalan: Curroc, Curroc comú, Curroc comú (grup nilotica)
Montenegrin: debelokljuna čigra, дебелокљуна чигра
Montenegrin (Cyrillic): дебелокљуна чигра
Czech: rybák černozobý, rybák černozobý [skupina nilotica], rybák černozobý eurasijský
Welsh: Môr-wennol ylfinbraff
Danish: Engelsk Terne, Sand-Tar, Sandterne, Sandterne, Almindelig [Nilotica Gruppe]
German: Lachmeerschwalbe, Lachseeschwalbe, Lachseeschwalbe [nilotica Gruppe], Lachseeschwalbe [nilotica-Gruppe]
Greek: Γελoγλάρovo, Γελογλάρονο, Γελογλάρονο [nilotica ομάδα], Γελογλάρονο [nilotica]
English: Common Gull-billed Tern, Gull-billed tern, Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed), Gull-billed Tern [nominate]
English (Avilist): Gull-billed Tern
English (United Kingdom): Gull-billed Tern
English, HBW: Common Gull-billed Tern
English (IOC): Gull-billed Tern, Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed)
English (United States): Gull-billed Tern, Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed)
Esperanto: Mevbeka ŝterno
Spanish: Charrán Pico Grueso (grupo nilotica), Pagaza piconegra, Pagaza Piconegra (grupo nilotica)
Spanish (Argentine): Gaviotín Pico Grueso, Gaviotín Pico Grueso [grupo nilotica]
Spanish (Chile): Gaviotín de pico negro, Gaviotín de pico negro [grupo nilotica]
Spanish (Costa Rica): Charrán Piquinegro, Charrán Piquinegro (grupo nilotica), Charrán Piquinegro [grupo nilotica]
Spanish (Cuba): Gaviotica de Pico Corto, Gaviotica de pico corto [grupo nilotica]
Spanish (Dominican Rep.): Charrán Piquigrueso
Spanish (Ecuador): Gaviotín Piquigrueso, Gaviotín Piquigrueso [Grupo nilotica]
Spanish (Spain): Pagaza piconegra, Pagaza piconegra (grupo nilotica), Pagaza Piconegra [nilotica Group]
Spanish (HBW): Gull-billed Tern (Gull-billed)
Spanish (Honduras): Gaviotín Pico Grueso, Gaviotín Pico Grueso (grupo nilotica)
Spanish (Mexico): Charrán Pico Grueso, Charrán Pico Grueso (grupo nilotica)
Spanish (Panama): Gaviotín Piquigrueso, Gaviotín Piquigrueso (grupo nilotica)
Spanish (Peru): Gaviotín de Pico Negro, Gaviotín de Pico Negro [grupo nilotica]
Spanish (Puerto Rico): Charrán Piquicorto, Charrán Piquicorto [grupo nilotica]
Spanish (Paraguay): Gaviotín pico grueso, Gaviotín pico grueso [grupo nilotica]
Spanish (Uruguay): Gaviotín Pico Grueso, Gaviotín Pico Grueso [Grupo nilotica]
Spanish (Venezuela): Gaviota Pico Gordo, Gaviota Pico Gordo [grupo nilotica]
Estonian: Naerutiir
Basque: Txenada mokobeltz, Txenada mokobeltza, Txenada mokobeltza [nilotica taldekoa)
Persian: پرستو دریایی نوک کاکایی [nilotica Group], پرستودریایی نوککاکایی
Finnish: hietatiira, hietatiira [alalaji nilotica]
Faroese: Sandterna
French: Sterne hansel, Sterne hansel (groupe nilotica), Sterne hansel [nilotica], Sterne hansel [nominal]
French (France): Sterne-hansel
French (Guyane): Sterne hansel (groupe nilotica)
Frisian: Kobbestirns, Swartsnaffelstirns
Irish: Geabhróg ghobdhubh
Galician: Carrán de bico curto, Carrán de bico curto [grupo nilotica]
Gujarati: ધોળી વાબગલી
Manx: Sternag ghob-doo
Hebrew: שחפית עבת-מקור, שחפית עבת-מקור (אירואסייתית)
Croatian: debelokljuna čigra
Haitian Creole: Fou bèk nwa
Hungarian: kacagócsér, Kacagócsér (nilotica)
Armenian: Որորակտուց ջրածիծառ, Որորակտուց ջրածիծառ (Սովորական)
Indonesian: Burung Dara-laut Paruh Lebar, Burung Dara-laut Tiram, Daralaut Tiram, Dara-laut tiram, Dara-laut tiram (Asia)
Icelandic: Sandþerna, Sandþerna [nilotica hópur]
Italian: Sterna zampenere, Sterna zampenere [gruppo nilotica]
Japanese (romaji): hashi-buto aji-sashi, hashibutoajisashi (nilotica guru-pu)
Japanese: ハシブトアジサシ, ハシブトアジサシ (nilotica グループ), ハシブトアジサシ（nilotica グループ）
Japanese (Kanji): 嘴太鯵刺
Georgian: თოლიისნისკარტა თევზიყლაპია
Kabardian: хы тхьэрыкъуэ пэ фӀыцӀэ, хытхьэрыкъуэпэпцӀэ
Mongolian, Halh: амуулай
Kazakh: қаратұмсық қарқылдақ, қаратұмсық қырқылдақ, шағала тұмсықты қарқылдақ, шағалатұмсық қарқылдақ, шағалатұмсықты қарқылдақ
Kazakh (Transliteration): qara-tumsıq qarqıldaq
Kannada: ದಪ್ಪಕೊಕ್ಕಿನ ರೀವ
Korean: 큰부리제비갈매기, 큰부리제비갈매기 (nilotica group)
Konkani: तीरें
Korean (Transliteration): keun-buri-jebi-galmaegi
Kirghiz: чардак чагала, чардактумшук чабакчыл
Scientific: Gelochelidon agraria, Gelochelidon balthica, Gelochelidon meridionalis, Gelochelidon nilotica, Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica Group], Gelochelidon nilotica [nilotica], Gelochelidon nilotica nilotica, Gelochelidon velox, Sterna anglica, Sterna nilotica, Sterna palustris
Luxembourgish: Laachséischmuewel
Lithuanian: kirasnapė žuvėdra, Kirasnapė žuvėdra [nilotica grupė]
Latvian: kāpu zīriņš
Macedonian: Дебелоклуна чигра
Malayalam: പാത്തക്കൊക്കൻ ആള
Mongolian: амуулай, Бахим амуулай, Бахим хараалай
Mongolian (Bichig): ᠪᠠᠬᠢᠮ ᠠᠮᠣᠯᠠᠢ
Mongolian (Bichig, Inner Mongolia): ᠪᠠᠬᠢᠮ ᠬᠠᠷᠢᠶᠠᠯᠠᠢ
Mongolian (Cyrillic, Inner Mongolia): Бахим хараалай
Mongolian (Transliteration): bakhim amuulai, bakhim kharaalai
Marathi: कुरव चोचीचा सुरय
Malay: Burung Camar Ketam, Burung Camar Tiram, Camar Paruh Tebal Biasa
Maltese: Ċirlewwa bumunqar, ċirlewwa geddumha oħxon
Nepali: गंगाचीलठू“डे ङ्घयालङ्घयाले
Dutch: Lachstern, Lachstern (nilotica groep), Lach-Zeezwaluw
Norwegian: Sandterne, sandterne (nilotica gr.)
Livvi (Olonets Karelian): čiirakko, čiirakon, čiirakot
Punjabi: ਡਮਰੇ-ਚੁੰਝੀ ਕਰਾਹੀ
Polish: rybitwa krótkodzioba, rybitwa krótkodzioba (gr. nilotica), rybitwa krótkodzioba [gr. nilotica]
Pinyin: ōu-zuǐ yàn-ōu, ōu-zuǐ zào-ōu
Portuguese: Tagáz, trinta-réis-de-bico-preto / tagaz
Portuguese (Angola): Gaivina-de-bico-preto, Gaivina-de-bico-preto [grupo nilotica]
Portuguese (Brazil): trinta-réis-de-bico-preto, trinta-réis-de-bico-preto [grupo nilotica]
Portuguese (Portugal): Tagaz [grupo nilotica], tagaz-comum
Rhaeto-Romance: Pestgarel chomma naira
Romanian: Pescăriță râzătoare (grupul nilotica), Pescăriţă râzătoare
Russian: Чайконосая крачка, Чайконосая крачка [группа nilotica]
Northern Sami: Sáttočearret
Sinhalese (Transliteration): Galuthudu Sayurulihiniya
Slovak: rybárka krátkozobá, rybárka krátkozobá (skup.)
Slovenian: črnonoga čigra, Črnonoga čigra [nilotica]
Albanian: Dallëndyshe deti këmbëzezë, Dallëndyshe deti këmbëzezë [grup nilotica]
Serbian: Debelokljuna čigra, Debelokljuna čigra [nilotica grupa]
Swedish: sandtärna, sandtärna [gruppen nilotica], sandtärna [nilotica Group]
Telugu: గౌరుకాకి ముక్కు రీవుపిట్ట
Thai: นกนางนวลแกลบปากหนา, นกนางนวลแกลบปากหนา (ยูเรเชีย)
Thai (Transliteration): nók naaŋ-nuan-klàeep pàak năa
Turkmen: garaçüňk çerik
Turkish: Gülen Sumru, Gülen Sumru [nilotica Grubu], Қаратұмсық қарқылдақ
Tuvinian: кускун хаайлыг суг хараачыгайы
Ukrainian: крячок чорнодзьобий, Крячок чорнодзьобий [група nilotica]
Uzbek: балиқчи тумшуқли чигиртчи, балиқчитумшуқ чигиртчи, қоратумшуқ чигиртчи
Vietnamese: Chim Nhàn chân đen
Kalmyk: цах хоңшарта харлла
Chinese: 鸥嘴噪鸥, 鸥嘴噪鸥（广布）
Chinese (Hong Kong): 鷗嘴噪鷗
Chinese (Traditional): 鷗嘴噪鷗, 鷗嘴燕鷗, 鷗嘴燕鷗(nilotica群), 鷗嘴燕鷗(指名亞種群)
Chinese (Taiwan, Traditional): 鷗嘴燕鷗
Chinese (Taiwan): 鸥嘴燕鸥
Zulu: ukliyosandewula
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