The Common Tern

By Terri Estes

There are several kinds of terns but the most common kind of tern in North America is, as the name states, the common tern.

Terns have similar coloring to many kinds of gulls in our area but are generally smaller than gulls. The common tern has a greyish-white body with a grey back, and a black capped head. Their bill and legs are dark orange. They have a slender body and long, angular pointed wings. You can often see them diving into the water, picking off fish just below the surface.

Seagulls tend to gravitate where human food is easily accessible such as garbage dumps and restaurants, not to mention sunbathers enjoying a nice lunch at the beach. The tern is not the bird to steal your chips at the beach as their diet is limited to fish. They are, however, the bird that will dive bomb your head if you come too close to their nesting area (Breezy peeps can attest to this!).

In the 19th century, terns made an unfortunate appearance in women’s fashion. Feathers, and sometimes entire terns, were mounted on women’s hats. This fashionable trend caused the near eradication of the common tern from the Atlantic Coast. After the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918, the population of the common tern rebounded. By the mid 1930s, they were no longer endangered.

Although they are “common,” they are a beautiful and pretty cool bird. They can drink water on the wing, dipping their beak into the water with its wings turned up. Like many seabirds, they can drink salt or fresh water as they have nasal glands that rid the body of excessive salt. If tides rise higher than normal, common terns can quickly gather shells, vegetation, bones or anything else they can find to raise their nests from damaging water.

When you are enjoying the beach this weekend, keep your eye out for the common tern. He won’t be the one looking for crumbs from your lunch. Look out at the water, just past the crashing waves. See that sleek bird diving into the water and catching a small fish? Yep, there’s your common tern!