Gulls & Terns in South Africa
Our list for South Africa has 12 gulls & terns recorded regularly there: 1 resident, 6 summer visitors, 1 winter visitor, 1 passage migrant and 3 scarce visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in South Africa in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 12, most common first
Sandwich TernThalasseus sandvicensisSummer visitorUncommon36–41 cmRecorded all year
Common TernSterna hirundoResidentUncommon31–35 cmRecorded all year
White-winged TernChlidonias leucopterusSummer visitorRare20–27 cmRegularly Jul–May
Little TernSternula albifronsSummer visitorRare21–25 cmRegularly Aug–May
Sabine's GullXema sabiniSummer visitorRare27–33 cmRegularly Sep–Apr
Roseate TernSterna dougalliiWinter visitorRare33–41 cmRegularly Jan–Sep
Lesser NoddyAnous tenuirostrisScarceRare30–34 cm
Damara TernSternula balaenarumSummer visitorRare22–24 cmRegularly Sep–May
Arctic TernSterna paradisaeaSummer visitorRare33–39 cmRegularly Aug–Mar
Gull-billed TernGelochelidon niloticaPassage migrantRare33–42 cmRegularly Dec
Franklin's GullLeucophaeus pipixcanScarceRare32–36 cm
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusScarceRare52–64 cm
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Little Tern 21–25 cm
- Damara Tern 22–24 cm
- White-winged Tern 20–27 cm
- Sabine's Gull 27–33 cm
- Lesser Noddy 30–34 cm
- Common Tern 31–35 cm
- Franklin's Gull 32–36 cm
- Arctic Tern 33–39 cm
- Roseate Tern 33–41 cm
- Gull-billed Tern 33–42 cm
- Sandwich Tern 36–41 cm
- Lesser Black-backed Gull 52–64 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made