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The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Close up of gravel, pebbles, RSPB Dungeness Common tern hovering aerial view of RSPB Hodbarrow reserve
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Common tern

Green conservation status

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Latin name

Sterna hirundo

Family

Terns (Sternidae)

Overview

These delightful silvery-grey and white birds have long tails which have earned them the nickname 'sea-swallow'. They have a buoyant, graceful flight and frequently hover over water before plunging down for a fish. They are often noisy in company and breed in colonies.

Where to see them

Breeds along coasts with shingle beaches and rocky islands, on rivers with shingle bars, and at inland gravel pits and reservoirs, feeding along rivers and over freshwater. Migrating birds can be seen offshore in autumn.

When to see them

Throughout the summer - they arrive in April and leave in August and September. They are most obvious when feeding young as they will fly some distance for food, returning to the nest site with a fish.

What they eat

Fish

Estimated numbers

EuropeUK breeding*UK wintering*UK passage*
-11, 838 pairs--

* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.

Distribution

Key

In the UK
Most of the UK, but scarce in south-west.

Please note that the map is only intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations.

Find out more

  • Videos

Audio is from commercial recordings Bird Songs and Calls of Britain and Europe on 4 CDs or Bird Sounds of Europe & North-west Africa, copyright WildSounds & CEBA (www.wildsounds.com, (UK) +44 (0) 1263 741100)

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3 illustrations

123

Illustrations
Common tern

Adult

Common tern in flight

Common tern in flight

Common tern juvenile

Juvenile

Similar birds

Arctic tern (illustration)

Arctic tern

Roseate tern (illustration)

Roseate tern

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Latest news

Woodland birds in decline

Latest results from the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) puts woodland birds at the top of the list of declining species.

New wetland could see continental birds arriving in Kent

Restoration of a large area of Kent countryside to wildlife-rich wetland could see the garden of England become a landing pad for bird species moving north from Europe as the climate warms.

Seabird failure continues for another year

Early reports of seabird breeding performance on some RSPB coastal reserves, especially in parts of Scotland and Wales, indicate continuing problems for internationally-important populations of guillemots, kittiwakes and other seabirds.

More news...

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© 2008 The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Charity registered in England and Wales no 207076, in Scotland no SC037654
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Last published: 14/06/2008 01:12:44
Show/hide picture credits
Close up of gravel, pebbles, RSPB Dungeness - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com, Ref: 1999_0733_009 )
Common tern hovering - Richard Bedford
aerial view of RSPB Hodbarrow reserve - RSPB Images - David Wootton (rspb-images.com, Ref: D_2006_11536_0015 )
Bird illustrations by Mike Langman (RSPB)