# Common Tern (*Sterna hirundo*) The Common Tern is a sleek bird with a sharp beak and striking wings. It loves to catch fish by diving into the water! - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 12 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas and islands - **Also known as:** Marsh Tern, Sea Swallow ![Common Tern](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425972/objects/4625.jpg) ## Appearance The Common Tern has a sleek white body, grey back, and pointed wings. It is easily recognized by its distinctive black cap and bright red-orange bill with a black tip. Its slender body and deeply forked tail make it look graceful in flight. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Laridae - **Genus:** Sterna ## Interesting facts - A Common Tern once lived for over 25 years, a very long time for a bird! - Some Common Terns fly over 10,000 km each year, a truly amazing journey! - Their eggs are laid directly on the ground, often on beaches, blending in perfectly! - They are known as 'sea swallows' because of their graceful, fork-tailed flight! ## Special abilities - **Long-Distance Navigator:** Common Terns undertake epic migrations, flying thousands of kilometers between breeding and wintering grounds. - **Aerial Acrobats:** Common Terns have pointed wings and a sleek body that helps them perform agile, graceful flights. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 31-35 cm - **Wingspan:** 72-82 cm - **Weight:** 0.097-0.146 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-25 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-4 - **Incubation:** 21-28 days - **Migration Distance:** 10000 km ## Diet & Feeding They mainly eat small fish caught by spectacular dives into the water, but also enjoy insects. - **Primary Foods:** small fish, sand eels, herring fry, shrimp, marine worms, insects - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Great Black-backed Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-black-backed-gull) (*Larus marinus*) — Preys on eggs and chicks in nesting colonies. - **Eaten by:** [Peregrine Falcon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/peregrine-falcon) (*Falco peregrinus*) — Hunts adult terns, especially during migration. - **Hunts:** Pacific Sand Lance (*Ammodytes hexapterus*) — A primary prey fish caught by plunge-diving. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Common Tern? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Common Tern? 31-35 cm ### What is Common Tern's wingspan? 72-82 cm ### How much does Common Tern weigh? 0.097-0.146 kg ### How long does Common Tern live? 10-25 years ### How fast can Common Tern move? 60 km/h ### What does Common Tern eat? They mainly eat small fish caught by spectacular dives into the water, but also enjoy insects. ### Where is Common Tern usually found? Coastal areas and islands ## Where to spot - [Compo–Owenoke Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/compo-owenoke-historic-district) — US · Historic District - [Devil's Kitchen](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/devils-kitchen) — Michigan, US · Nature Reserve - [Onondaga Lake Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/onondaga-lake-park) — New York, US · Park - [Cape Arundel Summer Colony Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cape-arundel-summer-colony-historic-district) — US · Historic District - [Jamestown Exposition](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jamestown-exposition) — Virginia, US · Historic District - [Jones Beach State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jones-beach-state-park) — New York, US · State Park [View all places to see Common Tern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-tern) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Common Tern: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-tern)