Arctic Tern Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesArctic Tern
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 sound
Breeding 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, 2011Similar SpeciesCommon Tern
Breeding adult
In flight, note that Common Terns have more black in wings than Arctic Terns. Breeding adults have a longer bill that is tipped in black unlike the shorter and solidly red bill of Arctic Terns.
© Mikaela Kropp / Macaulay LibraryDelaware, August 10, 2017Similar SpeciesCommon Tern
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding adult Common Terns have darker wingtips and a longer bill than Arctic Terns.
© S. K. Jones / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, August 30, 2017Similar SpeciesCommon Tern
Immature
Immature Common Terns can be separated from immature Arctic Terns by the more prominent black bar on the shoulder.
© Jody Wells / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, September 25, 2017Similar SpeciesCommon Tern
Juvenile
Juvenile Common Terns have a stronger shoulder or carpal bar than juvenile Arctic Terns. They also tend to have more brown on the back than juvenile Arctic Terns.
© Xabier Remirez / Macaulay LibraryCanarias, May 29, 2017Similar SpeciesRoseate Tern
Breeding adult
Roseate Terns are much paler gray with longer tail streamers than Arctic Terns. They also lack the dark trailing edge of the wing that is visible on Arctic Terns in flight.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, May 30, 2010Similar SpeciesRoseate Tern
Juvenile
Juvenile Roseate Terns tend to be paler gray overall than juvenile Arctic Terns. They also have a slightly longer bill than Arctic Terns.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, August 14, 2016Similar SpeciesForster's Tern
Nonbreeding adult
Forster's Terns have longer legs and a longer, thicker bill than Arctic Terns. Nonbreeding adult Forster's Terns have a dark eye patch, whereas the black on Arctic Terns extends behind the head.
© Bryan White / Macaulay LibraryMississippi, September 27, 2017Similar SpeciesForster's Tern
Juvenile
Juvenile Forster's Terns have brown mottling on the back unlike juvenile Arctic Terns, which are more pale gray overall. Juvenile's also lack the Arctic Tern's black rear crown patch.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, August 13, 2011Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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