Birds
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis · also called sandwich terns
Diving from height into coastal waters with a shaggy black crest streaming behind it, a Sandwich tern owes its slightly misleading name to an English town rather than to any food, a windswept-looking hunter of small fish along several continents’ coastlines.
Overview
The Sandwich tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis, is a fast, agile seabird native to coastal habitat spanning parts of Europe, Africa, and the Americas. Its distinctive shaggy black crest, black bill tipped with yellow, and habit of breeding in dense, tightly packed colonies make it one of the more visually memorable and highly social terns found anywhere across its range.
A name with a surprising origin
The Sandwich tern’s name has nothing to do with food, tracing instead to the English town of Sandwich in Kent, where naturalists first formally described the species long before it became known across three continents.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread across suitable coastal habitat spanning parts of Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
Sandwich Tern: common questions
Is the Sandwich tern named after the food?
No, this species is named after the English town of Sandwich in Kent, where it was first formally described, a coincidence of naming rather than any connection to the food of the same name.
How can you identify a Sandwich tern?
This species can be identified by its shaggy black crest, slender black bill tipped with yellow, and fast, direct flight style, a combination of features that sets it apart from many similar tern species.
Does the Sandwich tern nest alone or in groups?
This species breeds in dense, tightly packed colonies, often alongside other tern and gull species on coastal beaches and islands, a highly social nesting strategy shared by many terns.
How does the Sandwich tern catch fish?
This species feeds mainly on small fish caught by plunge-diving from height into coastal waters, a hunting style aided by its fast, direct flight over open water.