Sterna paradisaea
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Mass
~110 g
Habitat
Coastal areas
Diet
Fish and aquatic animals
How to recognize it
The Arctic Tern looks light and purposeful, with long wings and a deeply forked tail. In the breeding season, its bright bill adds a sharp, memorable touch to an otherwise clean, simple look.
It is a restless flyer and a determined feeder. It hunts low over the water, picks prey from the surface, and keeps moving through changing coastal conditions with ease.
It breeds in colonies on coasts, islands, and sometimes tundra near water. It feeds mainly on fish, but also takes crustaceans, mollusks, insects, worms, and, near the nest, berries; then it heads to the Southern Hemisphere and makes one of the longest seasonal journeys in the animal world.
Quick Facts
Listen to the call
The Arctic Tern looks light and purposeful, with long wings and a deeply forked tail. In the breeding season, its bright bill adds a sharp, memorable touch to an otherwise clean, simple look.
It is a restless flyer and a determined feeder. It hunts low over the water, picks prey from the surface, and keeps moving through changing coastal conditions with ease.
It breeds in colonies on coasts, islands, and sometimes tundra near water. It feeds mainly on fish, but also takes crustaceans, mollusks, insects, worms, and, near the nest, berries; then it heads to the Southern Hemisphere and makes one of the longest seasonal journeys in the animal world.
