Arctic Tern

Seen one? Add it to your free UK BirdedexHear its song and see the mapFree, no app download. Uncommon bird: +3 points when you log it.

Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Northern coasts (summer).
Diet: Sandeels.
Best time to spot: Pole-to-pole migrant, longest journey.

When to look

A summer visitor, typically in the UK from May to September. Numbers peak in June. See the June birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in British seabirds.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Arctic Tern sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is Red-listed in Birds of Conservation Concern 5, the highest level of concern in the UK.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Common TernUncommon · Coast and inland gravel pits
• Forster's TernLegendary · Estuaries (extreme vagrant)
• Roseate TernRare · Few breeding colonies
• Arctic SkuaUncommon · Northern moors (summer); sea (passage)
• Great SkuaUncommon · Northern isles (summer)
• WhimbrelUncommon · Northern moors (summer); coast (passage)

Tell it apart

Side-by-side ID guides: Common Tern vs Arctic Tern.

Kit that helps

Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, our own picks, no extra cost to you.