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Common Tern
(Sterna hirundo)
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.
The slender bill of race
"longipennis"
found in Australia is black, while nominate race
"hirundo"
has a red bill with a black tip; 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
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 |
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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 Arabia Common Terns, nominate race
"hirundo",
are most frequently found on passage. However, some birds do spend
both summer and winter on the coastline of the Arabian peninsula.
In summer, most Common Terns will likely be found along the North
coast, from Saudi Arabia to northern Oman, while in winter they
are more likely to be found along the south-eastern coastline,
from Yemen to eastern Oman.
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"
We spotted Common Terns, nominate race
"hirundo",
for the first time in Oman in May 2010, in Quriyyat, about 100 km East
of Muscat.
Common Terns, nominate race
"hirundo",
have also been found by us in
Europe.
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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Near-dorsal view of a Common Tern in breeding
plumage
(left), together with several
Lesser Crested Terns
[Quriyyat, May 2010]
Dorsal view of a Common Tern in breeding
plumage,
partly obscured by a
Lesser Crested Tern
[Quriyyat, May 2010]
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.