Arctic Tern

Presentation

The Arctic Tern is a small migratory seabird renowned for undertaking the longest migration known in the animal kingdom, connecting the Arctic to the Antarctic each year. It has a slender body, thin pointed wings, a black cap, and an orange-red bill. Its pale grey and white plumage provides subtle camouflage above the water. It nests in colonies on northern coasts and islands during the boreal summer. Thanks to its seasonal movements, this species experiences two summers per year, a unique record in the animal world. It is not found in Tunisia, as its natural range remains limited to high latitudes and the oceans it crosses during migration.

The Arctic Tern measures approximately 13 to 15 inches long with a wingspan of 30 to 33 inches. It is distinguished by its forked tail, short red legs, and slender bill adapted for fishing. Its flight is agile and buoyant, allowing it to hover extensively above the water before diving on its prey.

Characteristics

Indicative values: they vary by subspecies, sex and region.

Habitat and distribution

This species frequents rocky coasts, islands, and Arctic tundra during the breeding season. For the rest of the year, it lives mainly at sea, far from land. It depends on waters rich in small fish for feeding during its travels.

Behaviour

The Arctic Tern is a gregarious bird that nests in noisy colonies and aggressively defends its territory against predators, including humans. It is famous for its extremely long migratory flights, covering each year the equivalent of a round trip between Arctic and Antarctic. Outside the breeding season, it spends most of its life at sea or in flight.

Reproduction

The female typically lays one or two eggs in a simple shallow depression on bare ground, with minimal lining. Incubation lasts roughly three weeks and is shared by both parents. The young become able to fly after about a month, shortly before the start of their long migration southward.

Peculiarities

It holds the record for the longest known animal migration, sometimes covering more than 70,000 km per year between the two poles. Its longevity, combined with these journeys repeated each year, means an individual can travel the equivalent of several round trips to the Moon over the course of its lifetime.

Threats and conservation

The main threats include climate change, which alters the availability of marine prey, as well as predation of eggs and chicks by introduced mammals on certain islands. Marine pollution and human disturbance at nesting sites also pose risks.

References

Profile updated 08 September 2026 · Reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team.