General

Common Tern: Medium-sized tern with medium gray upperparts, pale gray underparts,, and glossy black cap and nape. Wings are dark-tipped and have dark leading edge on forewing. Red bill is black-tipped. Legs are red and tail is deeply forked and elongated. Sexes are similar. Winter adult and juvenile have white forehead, black hindcrown, black bill with red base, and dark shoulder bar.

Range and Habitat

Common Tern: Breeds in North America along the Atlantic coast from the northern Maritime Provinces of Canada to South Carolina, and occasionally in the Gulf of Mexico or on large inland lakes. Spends winters from southernmost breeding areas on the Atlantic coast to northern Ecuador and Brazil. Preferred habitats include sand and shell beaches, grassy uplands, and rocky inland shores.

Breeding and Nesting

Common Tern: One to three buff to brown eggs spotted with dark brown and black are laid in a simple scrape built above the high tide line in sand, gravel, shells, or seaweed, and lined with vegetation. Incubation ranges from 21 to 27 days and is carried out by both parents.

Foraging and Feeding

Common Tern: Feeds primarily on small fish up to four inches in length; also takes shrimp and aquatic insects; forages by striking the water in shallow plunge dives or skimming the surface.

Vocalization

Common Tern: Call is a harsh, rolling "kee-urr" with a downward inflection.

Similar Species

Common Tern: Roseate and Forster’s terns lack dark leading edge on forewings. Arctic Tern is smaller, shorter-legged, longer-winged, and has solid red (adult) or black (juvenile) bill.