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Common Tern Sterna hirundo   [Linnaeus, 1758]
Other Names Trends & Distribution Breeding & Survival Biometrics Books & Links
Order: Charadriiformes Family: Sternidae
BTO Codes: CN, COMTE EURING No: 6150
Number in Britain: 10 thousand pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK: AMBER
European: Not a species of concern
Global: Least Concern
Links to: Images   Videos   Sound  

Status in UK: (A)  Migrant Breeder, Passage Visitor
Subspecies: hirundo recorded in Britain (of 4 subsp. in the world)
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Length: 33 cm Wingspan: 88 cm Weight: M/F: 130 g    
Scientific name from: Old English: stearn=a tern and L.: hirundo=the swallow
World Distribution: BREEDS: Eurasia & North America, WINTERS: s Europe, s Asia, Africa, Australia & South America
Habitat: Sandy seacoasts, in winter marshes, estuaries
Diet: Mostly fish, also cristaceans in some areas, mostly by plunge-diving
TitBit: Remarkably similar to the Arctic Tern, they are often both referred to as 'commic' terns, but a dark-tipped bill, paler plumage and shorter tail streamers should help identify this bird; it also frequently nests inland, unlike its cousin  
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Population and Distribution
Population Trend: No population trend available
Distribution: No distribution maps available
British Population Size:
    Summer: 10 thousand pairs in 1998-02
    First Record: 7th Century
    Latest Survey: Mitchell, P.I. et al. (2004) Seabird populations of Britain and Ireland Poyser, London
    Conservation Status: AMBER because Localised Breeding Population,
   Previous Assessments: 2002-2007 GREEN     1996-2001 GREEN  
   Races of Concern: hirundo AMBER (Rare or Localised)
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
    Most frequent in: Estuaries
Relative Frequency in Each Habitat:
European Population Size:
    Summer: 220 to 320 thousand pairs
Population Assesment from Birds in Europe
Distribution in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of: WBD(I), Bern(III), Bonn(II*), AEWA
Survey Results: Seabird 2000 (warning: link to large pdf)
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Breeding and Survival
Egg Size: 41 x 31 mm Egg Weight: 20.2 g (of which 5 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records: 292
Clutch Size: 2 - 3 eggs 2.55 ± 0.72 (1 - 3) N = 143
Incubation: 21- 22 days by the: Female (occ. Male)
Fledging: 22 - 28days as: Semi-precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid: Unavailable
Number of Broods: 1

Number Ringed: 4652
Adult Survival: 0.900       
Juvenile Survival: 0.470 (to age 2 )  
Age at First Breeding: 3 years Typical Lifespan: 12 years
Maximum Recorded Age: 33yr 0m
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Biometrics
Ring Size: C2
Wing Length Adult: 271.2 ± 6.5 Range 260 - 281 mm, N =304
Juvenile: 261.8 ± 8.6 247.5 - 275.5 mm, N =120
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Weight Adult: 127.5 ± 9.55 Range 113.0 - 144.0 g , N =429
Juvenile: 126.8 ± 13.71 106.0 - 153.0 g , N =124
Male: Insufficient Data
Female: Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
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Other Names
Gaelic: Steàrnag-chumanta Welsh: Morwennol Gyffredin
Danish: Fjordterne Dutch: Visdief
Finnish: Kalatiira French: Sterne pierregarin
German: Flußseeschwalbe Hungarian: Küszvágó csér
Icelandic: Sílaþerna Irish: Geabhróg
Italian: Sterna comune Norwegian: Makrellterne
Polish: Rybitwa rzeczna Portuguese: Andorinha-do-mar-comum
Spanish: Charrán común Swedish: Fisktärna
Local Names: Sea Swallow, Darr, Rittack, Tarrock
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For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
   Hume, R. 1993 The Common Tern Hamlyn, London [598.616 HUM]
   Hume, R. 1993 The Common Tern Hamlyn, London [598.616 HUM]
   Palmer, R.S. (ed) 1941 A behaviour study of the common tern Boston Society of Natural History, Boston [598.616 PAL]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
Wikipedia entry
State of the Nations Birds by Chris Mead
Recent sightings and information from BirdGuides.com
Selected scientific papers published 1980-2005
Find more papers on Google Scholar
Find more papers on Scirus

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Email: birdfacts@bto.org

These data should be cited as:
Robinson, R.A. (2005) BirdFacts: profiles of birds occurring in Britain & Ireland (v1.24, June 2009). BTO Research Report 407, BTO, Thetford (http://www.bto.org/birdfacts)

 

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