Photo: Josue Hermoza / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Shorebirds

Inca Tern

Larosterna inca

Inca Tern (Larosterna inca) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of South America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 19 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Colombia Birds of Costa Rica Birds of Ecuador Birds of France Birds of the United Kingdom Birds of Peru Birds of the United States Birds of England Birds of Lancashire Birds of Hawaii

By family

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Colombia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Costa Rica Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Ecuador Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of France Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United Kingdom Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Peru Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United States Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of England Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Hawaii

See what's near you right now

The Inca Tern (Larosterna inca) is a member of the Laridae family found in South America. Adults weigh 219 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Genus Larosterna
Species inca

Where it lives

Coastal northern Peru to central Chile

South America

Quick facts

Weight: 219 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Laridae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Snowy-crowned Tern

Sterna trudeaui

Least Concern

Forster’s Tern

Sterna forsteri

Least Concern

Brown Noddy

Anous stolidus

Least Concern

Sooty Tern

Onychoprion fuscatus

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Inca Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.

Migration

The Inca Tern is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Inca Tern (Larosterna inca) is a member of the Laridae family, within the order Charadriiformes. Its range spans South America. Its distribution covers SA coastal n Peru to c Chile.

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 219 g, with a wing length of about 27.7 cm and a tail of around 13.3 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 477,000 km².

Songs & calls

Inca Tern — Call, duet

Recorded by Cristian Pinto Fernandez Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Inca Tern?

The Inca Tern is a large bird that weighs around 219 g.

Where does the Inca Tern live?

The Inca Tern is found across South America with a range covering SA coastal n Peru to c Chile, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Inca Tern belong to?

The Inca Tern (Larosterna inca) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Inca Tern eat?

The Inca Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Inca Tern migrate?

The Inca Tern is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Inca Tern endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Inca Tern make?

1 real field recording of the Inca Tern — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Inca Tern's range?

The Inca Tern has a mapped global range of about 477,000 km².