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Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea [Pontoppidan, 1763]
Other Names
Trends & Distribution
Breeding & Survival
Biometrics
Books & Links
Order:
Charadriiformes
Family:
Sternidae
BTO Codes:
AE , ARCTE
EURING No:
6160
Number in Britain:
53 thousand pairs (Summer)
Conservation Status:
UK:
AMBER
European:
Not a species of concern
Global:
Least Concern
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IBC
Status in UK:
(A) Migrant Breeder, Passage Visitor
Subspecies:
Monotypic
.
Length:
34 cm
Wingspan:
80 cm
Weight:
M/F: 110 g
Scientific name from:
Old English: stearn =a tern
and L.: paradisus =paradise
World Distribution:
BREEDS: n Eurasia, n North America, WINTERS: sub Antarctic & Antarctic oceans
Habitat:
Seacoast, tundra, lakes, rivers, in winter pelagic
Diet:
Fish, crustaceans and insects
TitBit:
Famed for their long-distance migration (one ringed as a chick on the Farne Is in June 1982 turned up in Melbourne, Australia, 22 000km by sea, in October), most return to the same area, even the same colony, they were hatched to breed
Population and Distribution
Population Trend:
No population trend available
Distribution:
New Atlas )
British Population Size:
Summer:
53 thousand pairs
in 1998-02
First Record:
1818
Latest Survey:
Mitchell, P.I. et al. (2004) Seabird populations of Britain and Ireland Poyser, London
Habitat Occupancy (in the Breeding Season):
No habitat data from BBS
European Population Size:
Summer:
480 to 850 thousand pairs
Birds in Europe
Listed on the Appendices/Schedules of:
WBD(I), Bern(III), Bonn(II*), AEWA
Survey Results:
Breeding and Survival
Egg Size:
41 x 30 mm
Egg Weight:
19.0 g (of which 5 % is shell)
Number of Nest Records:
661
Clutch Size:
1 - 2 eggs
1.96 ± 0.55 (1 - 3) N = 453
Incubation:
20 - 24 days
by the:
Male + Female
Fledging:
21 - 24 days
as:
Semi-precocial, downy
First Clutches Laid:
Unavailable
Number of Broods:
1
Number Ringed:
5119
Adult Survival:
0.9
Juvenile Survival:
No data
Age at First Breeding:
4
years
Typical Lifespan:
13
years
Maximum Recorded Age:
29yr10m
(Denmark: 30yr 11m)
Biometrics
Ring Size:
C2
Wing Length
Adult:
272.7 ± 7.6
Range
262 - 286 mm, N =263
Juvenile:
245.9 ± 18.6
228 - 263 mm, N =30
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Weight
Adult:
103.8 ± 8.97
Range
90.50 - 119.0 g , N =221
Juvenile:
106.0 ± 7.62
92.00 - 118.0 g , N =30
Male:
Insufficient Data
Female:
Insufficient Data
Source:
British Trust for Ornithology (2005) Ringing Scheme data
Other Names
Gaelic:
Steàrnag-Artaigeach
Welsh:
Morwennol y Gogledd
Danish:
Havterne
Dutch:
Noordse stern
Finnish:
Lapintiira
French:
Sterne arctique
German:
Küstenseeschwalbe
Hungarian:
Sarki csér
Icelandic:
Kría
Irish:
Geabhróg Artach
Italian:
Sterna codalunga
Norwegian:
Rødnebbterne
Polish:
Rybitwa popielata
Portuguese:
Andorinha-do-mar-árctica
Spanish:
Charrán ártico
Swedish:
Silvertärna
Local Names: Sea Swallow, Darr, Rittack, Tarrock
For More Information...
Books and Monographs:
Marples, G. & Marples, A. 1934 The sea terns or sea swallows Country Life Books, London
[598.616 MAR]
See Also:
All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology)
Gough, G.A. et al. (1998) Patuxent Bird Identification Infocenter
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