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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31–35 cm long, slim, with narrow pointed wings and a deeply forked tail
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Adult breeding plumage: black cap, pale grey back, white underparts, orange-red legs; bill red with a black tip or all black in some subspecies
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Hovers over water, then dives for fish
About the species
In breeding plumage, the Common Tern has pale grey upperparts and white to very pale grey underparts, set off by a black cap. Its narrow bill is usually orange-red with a dark tip, and its bright red legs show beneath a long, forked tail in flight. The Arctic Tern is similar, but has darker red legs and bill and lacks the black bill tip.
In flight, it turns quickly, hovers over water, then plunges after fish. Its alarm call is a sharp "KEE-yah"; around nesting sites, adults warn one another and drive off intruders, usually veering away at the last moment rather than striking.
Look for it around coasts and inland lakes or large rivers, where it nests on open, sparsely vegetated ground close to water; some pairs use floating rafts. Small fish make up most of its food, though it also takes insects and other small prey. Most populations migrate from northern breeding grounds to tropical or subtropical coasts for winter.
Where to find
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Along large rivers and freshwater lakes, Common Terns fly over the water head-down, sometimes hovering or circling before plunging after fish.
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During the breeding season, low sandy or shingle islands near water with sparse vegetation may hold a noisy colony, with defensive dives when people or animals approach.
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Outside the breeding season, scan boats, buoys and piers by the water — these are used as perches and night roosts.
