Common Tern

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) is in the Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers family (Laridae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 10,474 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in July.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: summer visitor / breeder. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Common Tern: observations by month (U.S.)

About Common Tern

The common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory, wintering in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. Breeding adults have light grey upperparts, white to very light grey underparts, a black cap, orange-red legs, and a narrow pointed bill. Depending on the subspecies, the bill may be mostly red...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Common Tern by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)

Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensis

Laughing GullLeucophaeus atricilla

Western GullLarus occidentalis

American Herring GullLarus smithsonianus

Royal TernThalasseus maximus

Forster's TernSterna forsteri

California GullLarus californicus

Caspian TernHydroprogne caspia

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ