Scientific name: Sterna hirundo Linnaeus, 1758
Bird group: Gulls and Terns
Field characters. 35 cm. Most common tern. A slender bird with a black cap and a deeply forked tail. Bill red with a black tip, legs red. Upperwings and back are grey. Outer 4-6 primaries are darker than rest of upperwing, forming a diamond-shaped pattern. The underside of the primaries are tipped dark, forming a somewhat sloppy line, in contrast to that of Arctic Tern. Wings are less translucent than in the latter; in favourable light conditions a translucent wing panel can be seen, formed by the inner four primaries. Juvenile has a dusky cap, a dark reddish bill, brownish grey upperpart markings and a dark shoulder bar.
Voice. Usually noisy. Loud, rasping 'crie-eeer', fast 'kirri-kirri' and fast kikkikkkik'.
Distribution. Summer visitor. Common near water; locally common breeding bird.
Habitat. Both coastal and inland near large water bodies. Breeds in small or huge colonies in short vegetated areas, like coastal dunes, (salt) marshes, and meadows. Usually coastal outside breeding season.
Food. Fish and crustaceans.