---
title: "Snowy-crowned Tern"
description: "Sterna trudeaui — Birds. The snowy-crowned tern (Sterna trudeaui), also known as Trudeau's tern, is a species of bird in subfamily Sterninae of the family Laridae, the gulls, terns, and skimmers."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/animal/snowy-crowned-tern
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Snowy-crowned Tern

> Sterna trudeaui — Birds. The snowy-crowned tern (Sterna trudeaui), also known as Trudeau's tern, is a species of bird in subfamily Sterninae of the family Laridae, the gulls, terns, and skimmers.

- Scientific name: *Sterna trudeaui*
- Category: `birds` (Birds)
- Habitats: `sea` (Sea & coast)
- iNaturalist observations: 1679
- Wikidata: [Q997524](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q997524)
- iNaturalist taxon: [4425](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/4425)

## Names

- en: Snowy-crowned Tern
- de: Weißscheitelseeschwalbe
- es: Gaviotín lagunero
- fr: Sterne de Trudeau
- nl: Trudeaus stern
- pt: Trinta-réis-de-coroa-branca
- pl: Rybitwa maskowa

## Countries with the most observations

AR (1006), BR (195), CL (192), UY (185)

## Summary

The snowy-crowned tern (Sterna trudeaui), also known as Trudeau's tern, is a species of bird in subfamily Sterninae of the family Laridae, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. It is native to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and possibly Paraguay, and also vagrant in Peru and the Falkland Islands.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowy-crowned_tern

## Photo

![Snowy-crowned Tern](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/snowy-crowned-tern/medium.jpg)

Photo: Hugo Hulsberg · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159448573

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/snowy-crowned-tern?lang=en` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).