Common Tern
Learn to identify the Common Tern by ear. Master the "ki-ri-ri-ri-ri" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.
What the Common Tern sounds like
A drawn-out, grating kee-arr alternates with short, clipped kik notes. Both call shapes carry sharply over open water.
How to tell it apart
Lessons featuring the Common Tern
Ready to test your ear? Practice identifying the Common Tern's sounds in these interactive in-app lessons.
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Where you'll hear it
Breeds across temperate and sub-arctic regions of North America, Europe, and Asia; winters along tropical and subtropical coasts worldwide.
Nests on open, sparsely vegetated islands, beaches, and marshes; forages over coastal waters, large lakes, and rivers.
Arrives on breeding grounds in late April–May, rearing young through mid-summer. Migrates south August–September; northern birds may linger until October.
How to recognize it by sight
Graceful, long-distance migrant tern with buoyant, elastic wingbeats and a sharp forked tail. Often seen patrolling shorelines and estuaries before plunging into the water for small fish.
Similar species
Arctic Tern
Arctic has shorter, all-red bill (no black tip).
Forster’s Tern
In non-breeding plumage retains black eye patch not full cap.
Roseate Tern
Longer, more deeply forked tail.