Main Species
Common Tern
Breeding adult
Medium-sized tern with deeply forked tail. Breeding adults have a gray belly, full black cap, and reddish bill. The upper side of the outer primaries is dark gray, creating a dark wingtip.
© Mikaela Kropp | Macaulay LibraryDelaware, August 10, 2017Breeding adult
Medium-sized tern with a slender, straight bill. Tail is about the same length as the folded wings. Breeding adults usually have a grayish chest and bright red, black-tipped bill and red legs.
© Doug Hitchcox | Macaulay LibraryMaine, July 12, 2017Adult and juveniles
Breeding adults have a neat black cap and red bill with black tip. In this image, note the long crossed wingtips (above) about the same length as the forked tail (below). Nests in the open on beaches.
© Benjamin Clock | Macaulay LibraryMaine, July 18, 2012Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding adults lose the front portion of their black cap, showing a white forehead and black hindcrown. Legs and bill turn blackish as winter progresses. Note tail does not extend beyond wingtips at rest.
© S. K. Jones | Macaulay LibraryFlorida, August 30, 2017Immature
Immatures and nonbreeding adults have a distinctive black bar on the leading edge of the wing, known as a carpal bar. Tail does not extend beyond wingtips.
© Jody Wells | Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, September 25, 2017Juvenile
Juveniles have a faint brownish wash to the back and a partial black cap that extends to the crown. They also have a dark leading edge to the wing, or carpal bar.
© Xabier Remirez | Macaulay LibraryCanarias, May 29, 2017Breeding adult
Medium-sized tern with deeply forked tail. Outer primaries form a dark wedge on the upper side of the wingtips. Wings are slender, swept back, and narrow at the base.
© Doug Hitchcox | Macaulay LibraryMaine, July 12, 2017Breeding adult
Medium-sized tern with long, slender wings and deeply forked tail. Breeding adults have a gray wash on the breast and red bill and legs.
© Evan Lipton | Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, June 16, 2016Nonbreeding adult
Flies with wingtips swept back with rowing wingbeats. Nonbreeding adults have a white forehead and black on the crown and behind the eye, with blackish bill. Note the black wedge on the upper side of the wingtips.
© Brendan Klick | Macaulay LibraryMichigan, September 09, 2017Breeding adult
Breeding adults have gray wash on underparts that can be quite dark. Note black-tipped red bill and red legs. Tail does not extend past wingtips.
© Derek Rogers | Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 29, 2016Habitat
Occurs along shorelines, barrier islands, and estuaries, as well as on large inland lakes. In coastal areas, typically less numerous in brackish areas than along the ocean shore.
© Keith Lowe | Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, July 13, 2017