Arctic Tern Photo Gallery
Breeding adult
Small, slender tern with angular wings that are silvery below. Breeding adults have a thin red bill and a gray belly. Note long forked tail.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, July 17, 2020Breeding adult
Short-legged tern with a long tail that extends beyond the wingtips while at rest on breeding adults. Bill and legs are bright red on breeding adults.
© Jay McGowan / Macaulay LibraryManitoba, June 15, 2009Breeding adult
Adults frequently give a high-pitched kip when foraging or while at the breeding colony.
© DAVID BROWN / Macaulay LibraryMaine, July 15, 2007Not all videos have soundBreeding adult
Small tern with a long, forked tail and pointed all gray wings. Plunge dives for small fish, aquatic insects, and crustaceans.
© Melissa Hafting / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 09, 2017Nonbreeding adult
Short-legged, slender tern. Nonbreeding birds have a reduced black cap that extends back from the eye. The legs and bill are black during the nonbreeding season.
© Daniel Murphy / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, August 20, 2016Breeding adult
Males often feed females small fish during courtship and to maintain pair bonds.
© Oscar Wilhelmy / Macaulay LibraryMaine, June 14, 2017Juvenile
Juveniles have a scaly-looking back and a smudgy black crown with a white forehead.
© Ilya Povalyaev / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, August 22, 2020Breeding adult
Nests on the ground in open tundra, boreal forest, or on rocky islands and beaches.
© Paul Tavares / Macaulay LibraryVesturland, July 12, 2011Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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