Arctic tern

Sterna paradisaea
Terns (Sternidae)

CC-BY 2.0 rights : Stefan Berndtsson

Grey tern with a black cap and red beak and legs in summer. In winter only the back of the head is black, the forehead and neck are light grey and the beak and legs are dark grey like the young. Very long wings and in summer the wingtips are semi-transparent. The outer tail feathers will exceed the wings in length when sitting.

Mainly found along the coast preferring fish, only when fish are in short supply will they turn to shellfish.

⇔ l. 33-39 cm

LA:
≈ Very difficult to separate from the STERNA HIRUNDO (Tern) which has a longer beak and shorter tail.
≈ The CHLIDONIAS HYBRIDA (Whiskered tern) is greyer, especially on the belly side. He lives more in southern Europe.

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