Arctic
Tern, Sterna
paradisaea
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![]() The Arctic Tern closely resembles the Common Tern, distinguishable by a shorter bill and more rounded head. Arctic Terns spend most of their time at a sea, and are among the champion long-distance migrants of the bird world, nesting in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, where this bird was photographed, and traveling to Antartica and back by a roundabout route that can make their annual travels exceed forty thousand miles. Note the exceptionally long tail of the breeding-plumage Arctic Tern. |
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![]() The Arctic Tern shown above was nesting right next to a busy pull-out at Potter Marsh, outside Anchorage, Alaska, which was also overflown by the bird shown below. |
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![]() The individual shown above, photographed over the ocean off the California coast during its lengthy fall migration, is converting from its breeding solid black cap and red bill to the non-breeding white forehead and black bill. |
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![]() Here's another California coastal fall migrant, and this one could be either a Common or an Arctic Tern, as an expert pointed out to me, noting that the short bill suggested a juvenile Arctic, especially if the apparent dark leading edge to the wing was an artifact of the photo angle. But seen flying along the shore, an Arctic would be much less likely than a Common, so I have it down as a "Commic" Tern (Arctic and Common are often hard to separate when seen in flight), and have posted it both here and on my Common Tern page. |