Chinese Crested Tern vs Lesser Crested Tern

Thalasseus bernsteini compared with Thalasseus bengalensis

Key Differences

• Chinese Crested Tern is Critically Endangered while Lesser Crested Tern is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Chinese Crested Tern	Lesser Crested Tern
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order same	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)
Family same	Laridae	Laridae
Genus same	Thalasseus	Thalasseus
Species	Thalasseus bernsteini	Thalasseus bengalensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Chinese Crested Tern and Lesser Crested Tern share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Thalasseus.

Conservation Status

Chinese Crested Tern

CR — Critically Endangered

Lesser Crested Tern

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Chinese Crested Tern	Lesser Crested Tern
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Chinese Crested Tern

Habitat

Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Taiwan. Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Lesser Crested Tern

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Distributed across Norway and Sweden.

Chinese Crested Tern

The Chinese Crested Tern (Thalasseus bernsteini) is a species in the genus Thalasseus. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Inhabits tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests within the Indomalayan biogeographic realm.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 1 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway