The white-cheeked tern is a species of tern in the family Laridae. It is found around the coasts on the Red Sea, around the Horn of Africa to Kenya, in the Persian Gulf and along the Iranian coast to Pakistan and western India.
Region
Red Sea and northwestern Indian Ocean
Typical Environment
Breeds on small islands and coastal sites around the Red Sea, the Persian/Arabian Gulf, and across the Gulf of Aden to the coasts of Oman, Iran, Pakistan, and western India. It also occurs from the Horn of Africa south to at least Kenya, especially outside the breeding season. Prefers inshore marine habitats including reefs, lagoons, and sheltered bays, and is uncommon far offshore. Nests are placed on open sandy or coral substrates with sparse vegetation, sometimes among shells or small pebbles.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 50 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The white-cheeked tern is a coastal breeder that forms dense colonies on sandy or coral islands, often alongside other tern species. Outside the breeding season it disperses widely along warm-water shorelines, frequently roosting on sandbars and feeding over shallow inshore waters. Its graceful, agile flight and sharp, grating calls are characteristic of tropical and subtropical seas in the Red Sea and northwestern Indian Ocean.
Temperament
social and colonial
Flight Pattern
agile with quick, shallow wingbeats and buoyant glides
Social Behavior
Breeds in tight colonies on low islands, often with simple ground scrapes lined with shell chips. Pairs are typically monogamous within a season and perform courtship displays that include fish-carrying and aerial chases. Both parents incubate and feed the chicks, which are semi-precocial and hide among beach debris.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
Vocal repertoire dominated by sharp, grating kerr and kip calls, especially around colonies. Alarm calls are harsher and more rapid, while flight calls are clipped and repeated during foraging flights.
