Scientific name: Sterna paradisaea Pontoppidan, 1763
Bird group: Gulls and Terns
Field characters. 36 cm. Sometimes very difficult to separate from Common Tern. Like that species, has red bill and legs, black cap, grey upperparts, white underparts and a deeply forked tail. Main distinguishing characters are the shorter, completely coral-red bill (bill of Common Tern is more orange and usually has black tip), overall greyer plumage, longer outer tail feathers, no dark upperwing panel, neat dark line on the underside of primaries (longer and sharper than in Common Tern) and, under favourable light conditions, all primaries and secondaries translucent, making wing look more slender. Juveniles easier to separate as mantle is grey in juvenile Arctic Tern and brownish in juvenile Common Tern; upper- and underwings are much whiter in juvenile Arctic Tern.
Voice. Similar to Common Tern, but finer and higher pitched: 'kie kie', 'kierrr', 'iehhr'.
Distribution. Abundant in summer in northern part of breeding range. Winters in Antarctic waters.
Habitat. Mainly coastal, but might breed inland. Always in low vegetated areas.
Food. Fish and crustaceans; to a lesser extent also insects.