Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China (mainland), Guam (B), India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Micronesia [Federated States of] (B), Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea (B), Northern Mariana Islands (B), Oman (B), Pakistan, Palau (B), Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russia (Asian), Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Thailand, Timor-Leste (B) (NB), USA, Vietnam.
Vagrant to Australia, Christmas Island.
Indian Subcontinent through south-eastern Asia to south-eastern USSR and Japan; Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea and Micronesia; Seychelles.
 
Population
Estimated population is 100,000 - 1,000,000 (2010).
Voice
A dry 'kik kik kik' or raspy 'tschek', similar but lower pitched than Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida), uttered in flight. In the breeding season a repeated, pumping 'oo oo, whoa whoa' or 'wooo wooo', call both during the day and at night.
The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9