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Antarctic Tern

Sterna vittata · Species of bird
Order
Charadriiformes
Codes
antter1, ANTE

About the Antarctic Tern

The Antarctic tern is a seabird in the family Laridae. It ranges throughout the southern oceans and is found on small islands around Antarctica as well as on the shores of the mainland. Its diet consists primarily of small fish and crustaceans. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related Arctic tern, but it is stockier, and it is in its breeding plumage in the southern summer, when the Arctic tern has shed old feathers to get its non-breeding plumage. The Antarctic tern does not migrate like the Arctic tern does, but it can still be found on a very large range. This tern species is actually more closely related to the South American tern.

Source: Wikipedia

Taxonomy & Classification

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Laridae)
SpeciesSterna vittata
Species Codesantter1, ANTE

Frequently Asked Questions

What family does the Antarctic Tern belong to?

The Antarctic Tern (Sterna vittata) belongs to the Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers family (Laridae), in the order Charadriiformes.

How can I identify the Antarctic Tern?

The Antarctic tern is a seabird in the family Laridae. It ranges throughout the southern oceans and is found on small islands around Antarctica as well as on the shores of the mainland. Its diet consists primarily of small fish and crustaceans. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related...

Where can I report a Antarctic Tern sighting?

You can log sightings of Antarctic Tern on eBird (ebird.org) using species code antter1, or on iNaturalist.