BirdUp · Species
Antarctic Tern
Sterna vittataGmelin, JF, 1789
- Conservation
- Least Concern
- Commonness
- Local
- Best seen
- Year-round
01 · Identification
How to tell it apart
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.
Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
02 · Where
Where to find it
- Breeding range
- Widespread, subantarctic and Antarctic is., South Atlantic, South Indian, west South Pacific and Antarctic Pen.
- Non-breeding range
- Disperses from breeding islands to the coasts of southern Africa, South America, and southern Australia (Tasmania to southern NSW and WA).
03 · When
When to look
Months this species is recorded across its Australian range.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
05 · Behaviour
Habits and haunts
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