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WHAT IS AN ARCTIC TERN?

sterna paradisaea

FAMILY:  Sternidae (gulls & terns)

NATIVE TO:  All over the northern part of the world!

CONSERVATION STATUS: Not threatened, numbers decreasing steadily on Atlantic coast.

WINGSPAN: 65-75 cm

DIET:  fish, crustaceans, worms, mollusks, berries

HABITAT:  open ocean, rocky coasts, gravel beaches, island, around bodies of water in tundra regions

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WHY ARE WE INTERESTED?

migration

The arctic tern, also known as the sea swallow, has the longest migration path in the world. In the winter, they travel from their habitats up in the far north down to Antarctica and the southern tips of South America and Africa. Over the course of one calendar year, they can fly around 70,900 km (44,100 miles): an astonishing distance! We are interested in studying the mechanism, development, evolution, and value of this amazing behavior. 

SOURCES:

http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/arctic-tern

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_tern

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