Arctic Tern — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Rarely seen away from breeding grounds on coastal islands or small ponds in the Arctic tundra.

⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers

SizeMedium

RarityUncommon

HabitatIt can be found in coastal regions in cooler temperate parts of North America and Eurasia during the northern summer.

Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from October.

Sounds

Sound sample

0:000:00

Recorded by Scott Olmstead

Range map

Occurrence window

97visible hotspots

413visible records

3states

Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Adults are pale gray with white cheek, black cap, and red bill and legs. Very similar to Common Tern; note shorter bill, shorter legs, gray belly, and paler gray wingtips with very limited dark tips. Young birds show partial black cap and black bill and legs; look for pale gray wingtips and stubbier legs to separate from Common Tern.