Arctic Tern

Sterna paradisaea Pontoppidan, 1763

110 gWeight

The Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) is a tern in the family Laridae.

Busiest months: June · Most records: Iceland, United Kingdom, Canada

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: June · Most records: Iceland, United Kingdom, Canada

Arctic Tern has been recorded at 732 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 70 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

KaldbakstjarnirIceland2,141 records
Húsavík – hafnarsvæðiIceland1,480 records
ChurchillCanada1,273 records

More places

Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður NP – JökulsárlónIceland914 records
Reykjavík – Tjörnin pondIceland904 records
Garður – Garðskagi lighthouseIceland808 records
GambellUnited States792 records
BakkatjörnIceland698 records
Teslin Lake – Teslin Lake Bird ObservatoryCanada622 records
Bridges of RossIreland591 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Iceland United Kingdom Canada United States Finland Svalbard & Jan Mayen Sweden Norway

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) is a tern in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and subarctic regions of Europe (as far south as Brittany), Asia, and North America (as far south as Massachusetts). The species is strongly migratory, seeing two summers each year as it migrates along a convoluted route from its northern breeding grounds to the Antarctic coast for the southern summer and back again about six months later.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Arctic Tern?

The Arctic Tern weighs around 110 g.

Where does the Arctic Tern live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic, North America: widespread Arctic and subarctic coasts and inland, from Greenland, Iceland and British Isles to northeastern Siberia, Sakhalin and Kamchatka (eastern Russia), Aleutian Islands, Alaska mainland through Arctic and subarctic Canada to James Bay, southeastern Canada and New York. It is most often recorded in Iceland, United Kingdom and Canada.

When is the best time to see the Arctic Tern?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in June (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Arctic Tern endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Arctic Tern as Least Concern.

What does the Arctic Tern eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Arctic Tern in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight: 110 g
Habitat: Coast & tidal flats
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Feeds in the air
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 263 mm
Tail: 180 mm
Bill: 38 mm
Tarsus: 16 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic, North America: widespread Arctic and subarctic coasts and inland, from Greenland, Iceland and British Isles to northeastern Siberia, Sakhalin and Kamchatka (eastern Russia), Aleutian Islands, Alaska mainland through Arctic and subarctic Canada to James Bay, southeastern Canada and New York

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2