Common tern

The common tern is a sleek seabird that spends summers near cool northern waters and winters along warm tropical coasts. Recognizable by its sharp black cap and bright orange-red legs, it dives for fish with impressive precision. These globe-trotters travel vast distances each year between their breeding and wintering grounds.

• Changes bill color from mostly red to all black depending on subspecies
• Shares some coastal areas with Arctic terns but looks subtly different
• Nests on beaches and islands across Europe, Asia, and North America