A small seabird that breeds across the high Arctic and sub-Arctic in the northern summer and then flies to the edge of the Antarctic pack ice for the southern summer, completing the longest annual migration of any known animal, a round trip that satellite tracking has measured at roughly 70,000 to 90,000 kilometers for some individuals that do not fly a direct route. Because it experiences two summers a year, one at each pole, an Arctic tern sees more daylight annually than any other creature on Earth. It nests in loose colonies on open ground, defending its nest aggressively against intruders including much larger animals, and feeds mainly by plunge-diving for small fish near the surface.
Facts
Disputed
Population EstimatePublished global estimates range roughly from one to two million mature individuals; the wide range reflects how difficult it is to census a species that breeds in scattered, often remote colonies across the entire circumpolar Arctic, so the lower, more conservative figure is recorded here rather than a false precise midpoint. Scientific Name Conservation StatusGlobal population is very large and the species is not considered at risk overall, though some regional breeding colonies are declining, which the global assessment folds into a wide confidence range rather than a precise trend. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceIn the breeding season Arctic terns are mainly grey and white, with a blood-red beak and feet, a black crown and nape, and white cheeks. 1 Classification
Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status (w-bfill-g5-0924 browse backfill). Connections
Child Taxon Of
Demonstrates
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
In Biome
In Ecosystem
Audubon's own text names the Antarctic broadly rather than the Peninsula by name; the Arctic tern's pole-to-pole migration takes it into Antarctic waters including the Peninsula region during the austral summer.
Source Arctic Tern (Audubon Field Guide)
Source World Wildlife Fund
Sources
1. Arctic Tern (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, breeding-plumage sentenceQuote, Lead section, breeding-plumage sentence
In the breeding season they are mainly grey and white, with a blood-red beak and feet, a black crown and nape, and white cheeks.
2. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
3. Encyclopedia of Life
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Arctic Tern (Audubon Field Guide)
National Audubon SocietyIn Ecosystem: Antarctic Peninsula, Field Guide - MigrationQuote, In Ecosystem: Antarctic Peninsula, Field Guide - Migration
some Arctic Terns may migrate farther than any other birds, going from the high Arctic to the Antarctic.
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: CharadriiformesView the Source World Wildlife Fund
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.