Birds · Charadriiformes · Laridae

Arctic Tern

Sterna paradisaea

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

It makes the longest annual migration known in any animal, travelling pole to pole and so living through two summers a year.

Weight

95 g – 120 g

Size

33 cm – 43 cm

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Piscivore

Feeds mainly on fish.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

TundraPolarPiscivore Diurnal Colonial Bird Tundra Polar

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Fun facts

GPS tracking studies have shown it can cover up to 90,000 km a year by following favourable wind patterns.
It eats small fish such as herring and capelin, and crustaceans such as krill.
It lives on open tundra, boreal forest and rocky coasts of the circumpolar Arctic.
récordIt makes the longest known migration of any animal: some 90,000 km a year between the Arctic and Antarctica and back.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - pneumatised bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Open tundra, boreal forest and rocky coasts of the circumpolar Arctic; makes the longest known migration, between the Arctic and Antarctica
Birth weight: ~13.1 grams at hatching
Size at birth: Covered in down at hatching
Sexual maturity: 3-4 years
Gestation / incubation: 21-24 days
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 3 eggs per clutch (most commonly 2)

Sources consulted: American Oceans; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Arctic Portal; Cool Antarctica; NHPBS NatureWorks; Animalia.bio; Animal Diversity Web; Mass.gov; bioRxiv (natal philopatry study)