Sergey Dereliev

Small tern breeding solitary or colonially with circumpolar breeding range. In Europe, breeds along coasts from the Netherlands northwards, including N Atlantic islands and Greenland. Further north also inland on tundra’s and along arctic rivers. Strong migrant making exceptionable long-distance migrations towards Antarctic using either Atlantic or Pacific Flyway with a migratory divide somewhere in Arctic Siberia (Alerstam et al. 2019). Pelagic outside breeding season. Diet small fish and crustaceans, insects during breeding. European population 564,000-906,000 breeding pairs, decreasing.

Season of assessment

B

Population trendStable
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		1060000-1510000,1220000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Arctic Tern

Arctic terns from all European regions connect to coasts of W and S Africa, rounding S Africa N to Mozambique, all using E Atlantic Flyway with Baltic birds first flying W to North Sea. Also connections to Australia, New Zealand, N and S America. Recent geolocator studies reveal that ringing recoveries underestimate true distances and wintering grounds, as birds from Greenland and Iceland flew 71,000km to Antarctic S of Africa (Egevang et al. 2010), birds from Netherlands 90.000 km to E Antarctic S of N Zealand (Fijn et al 2013). No recoveries in Mediterranean, few inland recoveries towards E and SE possibly misidentified common terns, as there is no evidence for overland migration to Indian Ocean (Alerstam et al. 2019), although shorter overland passage does occur (Redfern & Bevan 2019).

Recoveries by Condition for Arctic Tern

About 23% of all re-encounters are ringing recoveries, an almost equal proportion to what is seen in common terns. Birds otherwise identified, e.g. rings being read in the field are uncommon at 6% (common tern 32%), but large increase after 1990, because colour-ringing is relatively new in Arctic tern. Both categories mainly in UK, Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark. Dead birds make up 54% of total, occurring equally across entire range. Shot and intentionally taken birds rare at 5%, mainly in Denmark, France, Spain and W Africa.

Annual Movements for Arctic Tern

From mid Nov to end Mar, all recoveries in Africa, except few odd records in Europe. Begin Apr birds appear in Denmark, mid/end Apr Netherlands, British Isles. N Baltic reached begin May, density highest in all breeding areas up to N Norway from mid-Jun, when first birds reach Iceland and Svalbard. Stable until end Jul. Through Aug, density in N Europe decreasing and movement S to France, Spain and first birds reach W Africa, already many there by end Aug. Rapid decline in whole of Europe through Sep, first birds appear S Africa. Mozambique and Australia reached mid Oct, brief concentration Denmark, the last birds leaving Europe until none left mid Nov. End Oct W Africa vacated, birds in Gulf of Guinea and S to Angola, by end Nov most in Southern Africa or beyond.

Connectivity by Month by Region for Arctic Tern

Connections in Aug-Sep in all regions show post-breeding movement from Baltic to W coast of Norway, likely overland, Germany/Netherlands, British Isles and W coast of France. Some movements from Baltic towards Black Sea. Nov-Jan connections very rare and local only. Most ringing during breeding Jun-Jul, connecting all regions to coasts of W Africa in Aug-Mar, S Africa in Oct-Mar without variation. NW and N birds also found in Australia and N Zealand in Oct-Dec (Jun), and NW. Birds from Iceland and Sweden found in S America in Nov and Apr. Geolocators show true extent of movements and variation between regions: after rounding S Africa, Baltic and Dutch terns flew to Antarctica reaching 207E, while such movements were much less prominent among Greenland birds (Alerstam et al. 2019).

Henk van der Jeugd

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
Alerstam, T, Bäckman, J, Grönroos, J, Olofsson, P, Strandberg, R.2019 . Hypotheses and tracking results about the longest migration: The case of the arctic tern. Ecology & Evolution 9 Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5459) : 9511–9531
Egevang, C., Stenhouse, I.J., Phillips, R. A. Petersen, A., Fox, J. W. , Silk, J. R. D.2010 . Tracking of Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea reveals longest animal migration. PNAS 107: 2078–2081
Fijn, R.C., Hiemstra, D.,Phillips, R.A.,van der Winden, J.2013 . Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea from the Netherlands migrate record distances across three oceans to Wilkes Land, East Antarctica. Ardea 101: 3–12
Redfern, C.P.F., Bevan, R.M.2020 . Overland movement and migration phenology in relation to breeding of Arctic Terns Sterna paradisaea. Ibis 162 Link to Article (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12723) : 373–380

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