Gygis alba
Silhouette: Vladimir Lysenko (photograph) · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The Atlantic white tern (Gygis alba), also known as the common white tern, is a small seabird found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is sometimes known as the fairy tern, although this name is potentially confusing as it is also the common name of Sternula nereis. Other names for the species include angel tern and white noddy. The blue-billed white tern (Gygis candida) and the little white tern (Gygis microrhyncha) have sometimes been considered as subspecies of the Atlantic white tern.
The Atlantic white tern was first formally described by the Swedish naturalist Anders Sparrman in 1786 under the binomial name Sterna alba. The genus Gygis was introduced by the German zoologist Johann Georg Wagler in 1832. The name Gygis is from the Ancient Greek guges for a mythical bird and the specific alba is Latin for "white". The blue-billed white tern (Gygis candida) and the little white tern (Gygis microrhyncha) were formerly considered to be subspecies of the Atlantic white tern.
Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that the white terns are more closely related to the noddies (Anous) than they are to the other terns. This implies that "white noddy" would be a more appropriate English... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isla del Coco National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Manuel Antonio National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White Tern sighting in Manuel Antonio National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 284th most-seen of the 325 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 10% of wildlife watchers report a White Tern in Manuel Antonio National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to August, the lowest months. That is one of Manuel Antonio National Park's wettest months, with about 660 mm of rain against 35 mm in February.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most White Tern sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 2
Of the 2 parks where we can rate White Tern sightings, Manuel Antonio National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Isla del Coco National Park (Costa Rica, about 80%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the White Tern is recorded against all the birds logged in Manuel Antonio National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
