Tern

Sterna hirundo
Terns (Sternidae)

Very large wings.
Ternon RikenMon's Nature.Guide

CC-BY-SA 4.0 rights : RikenMon

Grey tern with a black cap and red beak and legs in summer. In winter only the back of the head is black, the neck is grey and the beak and legs are a dark grey like the young. The beak tip mostly stays black. Very long wings with dark to black tips in summer. The tail is short with only the outside feathers longer. 

They dive for fish but shellfish and insects are also on the menu. Breeding in colonies and pairs fly in sync to mark their territory. 

⇔ l. 33-35 cm

A migratory bird that is able to fly 10,000 km from the cold north to the warm south.

LA:
≈ Very difficult to separate from the STERNA PARADISAEA (Arctic tern) which is thinner with a shorter beak and longer tail.
≈ The CHLIDONIAS HYBRIDA (Whiskered tern) is greyer, especially on the belly side. He lives more in southern Europe.

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