It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

[2] It has a yellow beak and feet, silvery grey wings and white underbody and forehead.

[3] It frequently nests alongside colonies of the large-billed tern (Phaetusa simplex) and the black skimmer (Rynchops niger).

[4] The yellow-billed tern breeds from August to December on sand banks and island beaches.

Non-breeding season habitats include coastal lagoons, river mouths, and rice fields.