Arctic Tern | Oceana
Home / Arctic Tern

Marine Life Encyclopedia

Seabirds

Arctic Tern

Sterna paradisaea

Distribution

Worldwide

ECOSYSTEM/HABITAT

Nest along coasts; feed in coastal to open ocean (pelagic) waters

FEEDING HABITS

Active (diving) predator

TAXONOMY

Order Charadriiformes (gulls, auks, and relatives), Family Sternidae (terns)

Like all terns, the Arctic tern gets most of its food from marine sources. They primarily eat small, schooling fishes and pelagic invertebrates, but they are known to take some terrestrial invertebrates and even berries near their nesting sites, when breeding. Arctic terns are divers and feed by plunging into surface waters at high speeds and chasing their prey underwater.

As in all seabirds, Arctic terns nest on land. This species nests exclusively in the Arctic but spends much of the rest of the year migrating across the globe. For each Arctic winter, they migrate to Antarctica for the southern hemisphere summer. This yearly migration means that not only does the species have a global range but each individual has a global home range. Utilization of areas so geographically distant is very rare. Arctic terns mate for life and form large breeding colonies where several pairs nest together. Each Arctic summer, these birds return to their preferred nesting areas, find their mates, and breed. During courtship and nesting, the males forage relatively close to the nest and provide the female with a steady diet of fish. After approximately a month of incubation, the egg hatches, and the parents continue to care for the young birds for about three more weeks. After that short time, the juveniles learn to feed themselves. Arctic terns are sexually mature after three or four years and live to be at least 30 years old.

Egg and chick predation by gulls and invasive cats or other small mammals is the largest threat to nesting Arctic terns. When not nesting, this species does not have any natural predators. The Arctic tern is fairly common, and scientists consider it to be a species of least concern. Historically, hunting reduced population size in some places, but as a whole the species is not at risk of extinction.

Engage Youth with Sailors for the Sea

Oceana joined forces with Sailors for the Sea, an ocean conservation organization dedicated to educating and engaging the world’s boating community. Sailors for the Sea developed the KELP (Kids Environmental Lesson Plans) program to create the next generation of ocean stewards. Click here or below to download hands-on marine science activities for kids.

Kids Environmental Lesson Plans

Additional Resources:

IUCN Red List

Get Involved

Donate Today

SUPPORT OUR WORK TO PROTECT THE OCEANS BY GIVING TODAY

With the support of more than 1 million activists like you, we have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean.

Donate Now

TAKE ACTION NOW

Support policy change for the oceans

Decision-makers need to hear from ocean lovers like you. Make your voice heard!

Sign Now

VISIT OUR ADOPTION CENTER

SYMBOLICALLY ADOPT AN ANIMAL TODAY

Visit our online store to see all the ocean animals you can symbolically adopt, either for yourself or as a gift for someone else.

Shop Today

DOWNLOAD OCEAN ACTIVITIES

HELP KIDS DISCOVER OUR BLUE PLANET

Our free KELP (Kids Environmental Lesson Plans) empower children to learn about and protect our oceans!

Learn More

FEATURED CAMPAIGN

Save the Oceans, Feed the World

We are restoring the world’s wild fish populations to serve as a sustainable source of protein for people.

Learn More

More CAMPAIGNs

Protect Habitat

Bycatch

Plastics

View All

CONTACT

Oceana International Headquarters
1025 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036 USA

General Inquiries
+1(202)-833-3900
info@oceana.org

Donation Inquiries
+1(202)-996-7174
wavemaker@oceana.org

Press Inquiries
+1(202)-833-3900
press@oceana.org

OCEANA'S EFFICIENCY

BECOME A WAVEMAKER

Sign up today to get weekly updates and action alerts from Oceana.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT WITH A DONATION

We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.

Donate Now

QUICK LINKS: