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Arctic Tern

Birds

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
Scientific Name
Sterna paradisaea 7
Conservation Status
Least Concern 5
Global 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.
Body Size Band
Small 8
Activity Pattern
Diurnal 8
Lifespan
34 9
Classification
Diet
Piscivore 2
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 3
System (Realm)
Marine 3
Relationship to People
Hunted or Fished 4
Living or Extinct
Yes 5
Derived 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.
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
G5 Secure 6
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
In 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
Disputed
Population Estimate
1,000,000 5
Published 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.
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Charadriiformes, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life

Demonstrates

Migration, Natural Phenomena
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica

In Biome

Tundra, Biomes
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica

In Ecosystem

Antarctic Peninsula, Ecosystems

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)
Arctic Tundra, Ecosystems
Source World Wildlife Fund
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Australia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Belgium

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Brazil

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Canada

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Chile

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Colombia

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Denmark

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Ecuador

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Estonia

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Finland

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France

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Germany

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Iceland

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Ireland

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Mozambique

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Netherlands

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New Zealand

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North America

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Norway

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Poland

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Russia

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South Africa

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Spain

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Sweden

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United Kingdom

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United States

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Uruguay

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Sources
1. Arctic Tern (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationLead section, breeding-plumage sentence
Quote, 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.
View the Source
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
  • Diet: Piscivore
View the Source
3. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species API
  • System (Realm): Terrestrial
  • System (Realm): Marine
View the Source
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Sterna paradisaea (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
  • Conservation Status: CITES
    CITES No special status
  • Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
    Once hunted for their feathers.
View the Source
5. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
International Union for Conservation of Nature
  • Living or Extinct: Yes
  • Conservation Status: Least Concern
  • Population Estimate: 1,000,000
View the Source
6. NatureServe Explorer: Sterna paradisaea
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "G5"
View the Source
7. Encyclopedia of Life
Encyclopedia of Life
  • Scientific Name: Sterna paradisaea
View the Source
8. Ecological Society of America, Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014): EltonTraits 1.0 bird functional traits (BirdFuncDat)
Ecological Society of America, Ecological Archives E095-178 (Wilman et al. 2014)
  • Row: sterna paradisaea
    4465 Nonpasseriformes Charadriiformes Laridae Gulls and terns 61 BL3 Sterna paradisaea Arctic Tern 10 0 0 80 0 10 0 0 0 0 VertFishScav Ref_3 A Carolina 40 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ref_3 1 Other 0 110 Dunning08 1
  • BirdFuncDat.txt row Sterna paradisaea, Nocturnal column
    Sterna paradisaea Arctic Tern 10 0 0 80 0 10 0 0 0 0 VertFishScav Ref_3 A Carolina 40 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 Ref_3 1 Other 0
View the Source
9. Human Ageing Genomic Resources, University of Liverpool: AnAge entry for Sterna paradisaea
Human Ageing Genomic Resources, University of LiverpoolLifespan, ageing, and relevant traits
Quote, Lifespan, ageing, and relevant traits
Maximum longevity 34 years (wild)
View the Source
Wikidata: Arctic Tern
Wikidata Q26800, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Arctic Tern (Audubon Field Guide)
National Audubon SocietyIn Ecosystem: Antarctic Peninsula, Field Guide - Migration
Quote, 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.
View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: CharadriiformesView the Source
World Wildlife Fund
World Wildlife FundIn Ecosystem: Arctic TundraView the Source

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