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Common Tern
(Sterna hirundo)
: "Asiatic Common Tern", "European Common Tern",
"Black-billed Common Tern", "Western Common Tern", "Sea Swallow"
 German name(s): "Flussseeschwalbe", "Flußseeschwalbe", "Fluß-Seeschwalbe"
Size: 31-35 cm; wing span 77-98 cm
Weight: 110-140 g
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Similar
species |
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Physical description |
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 Click here for a physical description
Common Terns are medium-sized terns.
During the
breeding
season they have a black cap that encompasses the eyes and extends
well onto the nape of the neck, a white front (throat, neck, chest,
belly and vent) and grey wings. The chest and belly can be light-grey.
When folded, the wings, which have conspicuous black tips, are
the same length as the tail. The tail is forked.
Nominate race
"hirundo"
has a red bill with a black tip, while the slender bill of race
"longipennis"
is black; the short legs and feet are black (sometimes reddish).
In eclipse
the front of the cap becomes white, with a mottled black-and-white
front part of the cap.
Juvenile
birds have dark leading and trailing edges to their
wings. Otherwise they resemble
non-breeding adults.
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Twitcher's tip |
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Compared to
Arctic Terns, the Common Tern has slightly longer legs
and a black tip to its bill.
Compared to
White-fronted Terns, the Common Tern has darker wing tips.
Note that second-year Common Terns are very similar to
second-year
White-fronted Terns.
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Taxonomy, classification |
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See Common
Tern at Wikipedia  .
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Range, habitat, finding this species |
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Click here for information on habitat
and range
The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and
specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found,
based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to
ebird.org
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The global distribution of the Common Tern is available
HERE
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Common Terns are a global, strongly migratory species.
There are four races, which populate parts of all continents,
except Antarctica.
Nominate race "hirundo" breeds in
Europe,
from Bretagne and western England eastwards, in small areas
of coastal North Africa (although not elsewhere in the
Mediterranean), in
Arabia
and in western and central Asia, as
far East as western Siberia and Kazakhstan. They are
also found in Canada, East of the Rocky Mountains to the
Atlantic coastline down to about the Carolinas.
Race "minussensis" has a limited breeding range, from Lake
Baikal eastwards to northern Mongolia and southern Tibet.
The North American population winters along the coastlines
of tropical central America and of South America, except the
southern Chilean coastline. The European and western Asian
population migrates to the coastlines of Africa, from the
equator to Cape Hoorn.
Race "tibetana" breeds from the Himalayas to southern
Mongolia and China. They migrate to the coastlines of
southern Pakistan and north-western India and the East
coast of India (including Sri Lanka) and Bangladesh.
Race "longipennis"
breeds in an area from central Siberia to China; they can
also be found in parts of Alaska.
This race spends the northern winters in large parts of
coastal south-eastern Asia and in
Australia.
In Europe Common Terns, nominate race
"hirundo",
can be found, mostly in coastal wetlands, during their
migration and as breeding migrants. Their breeding
range extends from the south-western Iberian coast
of the Mediterranean Sea, via southern France and
most Mediterranean islands (except Sicily) to the
coast of Greece (but not the Italian coastline). In
Italy they breed only in the valley of the river Po.
Further northward, they breed on the European Atlantic
coastline along the northern Bay of Biscaye and Normandy,
plus the valley of the river Seine,
along much of the coastline of the British Isles (except
Wales and Cornwall) and along the coastline of the North
Sea, from the Rhine delta northward to the North Cape in
Norway.
In Scandinavia they breed all along the coastline of the
Baltic Sea, including the all of southern Sweden and the
lake districts of southern Finland (also inland). On the
European mainland they are also found inland, from the
upper Danube and the Oder/Neisse river system eastwards,
where they are found anywhere except the Hungarian Puszta
and the northern parts of European Russia.
Common Terns can often be found above coastal waters, and on
beaches and coastal rockfaces.
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Sightings |
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Click here for sighting information
Race "hirundo"
H. Dahlem-Senger reports spotting Common Terns, nominate race
"hirundo",
at Naturschutzgebiet (Nature Reserve) Wallnau/Fehmarn, on the
German Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn, Germany, in June 2018.
J. Pires reports finding a Common Terns, race
"hirundo",
at Praia do Penedo, Porto Santo island, Portugal, in November 2022.
Common Terns, nominate race
"hirundo",
have also been found by us in
Oman.
Race "longipennis"
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Photos |
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Race "hirundo"
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ADULT |
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BREEDING |
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Frontal view of a Common Tern in breeding
plumage
on the ground; click on image to see a second bird in flight
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Naturschutzgebiet Wallnau/Fehmarn, Fehmarn, Germany, June 2018]
Lateral view of a Common Tern in breeding
plumage;
note the black-tipped red bill that is typical for this race
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Naturschutzgebiet Wallnau/Fehmarn, Fehmarn, Germany, June 2018]
Lateral view of a Common Tern in breeding
plumage
looking away from the observer
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Naturschutzgebiet Wallnau/Fehmarn, Fehmarn, Germany, June 2018]
Direct comparison between a Common Tern in breeding
plumage, front,
and a Common Gull,
back
(photo courtesy of H. Dahlem-Senger)
[Naturschutzgebiet Wallnau/Fehmarn, Fehmarn, Germany, June 2018]
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NON-BREEDING |
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Near-frontal view of a Common Tern in non-breeding
plumage
in flight
(photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Praia do Penedo, Porto Santo, Portugal, November 2022]
Common Terns, race
"hirundo",
were also photographed by us in
Oman.
Race "longipennis"
Common Terns, race
"longipennis",
were photographed by us in
Australia.
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Food, Diet |
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Like all terns, Common Terns feed on fish, which they catch
with their bills just under the surface of water in a steep
high-speed dive from considerable height.
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Call(s)/Song |
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For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The
interpretation of their meaning is our own; are welcome.
More Common Tern sound recordings are available at
xeno-canto.org
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These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our
contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species
please refer to a field guide.
Breeding
Nest
Eggs
Behaviour
are welcome.