Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Also known as: Artic Tern
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
VertFishScav
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
110 g
About This Species
Famous for the longest migration of any animal, this slender, elegant tern breeds on Arctic and sub-Arctic coasts and islands, nesting in colonies on open ground near water and plunge-diving for small fish in cold coastal waters. Its forked tail, blood-red bill and buoyant, hovering flight make it distinctive, and it is most active feeding during the long daylight hours of the high-latitude summer. The breeding season from late spring through summer is the best time to see colonies, while migration periods offer chances to spot passing birds well outside the breeding range.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Stay at least 50 metres from nesting colonies, since Arctic Terns are notably defensive and will dive at intruders that approach too closely, which is a sign the colony is already under stress.
- Seabird colonies are protected under wildlife laws in the various Arctic and sub-Arctic nations where it breeds, though the specific statutes and enforcement differ between countries such as Iceland, Canada, Norway and the UK, so local guidance should be followed rather than a single assumed rule.
- Walking around rather than through a colony, and keeping visits brief, limits the time adults spend away from eggs or chicks.
Seasonal Activity
629,324 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
Traits
- Diet
- VertFishScav
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 110 g
Photo
Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.