Gulls and terns · Shorebirds
Common Tern
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Sterna hirundo
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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Slim tern, 31–35 cm, with long pointed wings and a deeply forked tail
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Pale grey above, white below; black cap on the head
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Red bill with a black tip, orange-red legs
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Calls: sharp 'kee-k' or 'kreee'
About the species
The Common Tern looks light and agile, with a deeply forked tail and a neat, pointed bill. In breeding plumage, the dark cap and bright legs make it feel especially crisp and alert.
It is a noisy, colony-nesting species that spends a lot of time over water. It hunts by diving straight down for prey, and courtship includes aerial displays, with the male offering fish to the female.
It favors open shores, islands, sand or shingle, and other flat places near water, and it can also use rafts or even rooftops. It mainly eats small fish, but also takes molluscs, crustaceans, and insects; most populations move south for winter.
Where to find
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Along big rivers, reservoirs, and pond edges — watch for a hover over the water, then a sharp plunge for fish.
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On sandy spits, small islands, and bare concrete pads by the water — easiest to notice when a shallow nest scrape is being guarded with sharp calls.
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On bridges, piers, and buoys — it often lands for a moment, then shoots back out in a fast, straight flight over the surface.
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In spring over quiet bays and canals — a fish-carrying male circles and turns in display flights around a mate.
