/Common_Tern_commons.jpg)
Sterna hirundo
Basic stats
Diet
Small fish, aquatic invertebrates
Habitat
Coastal waters, estuaries, occasionally inland lakes
Range
Breeds across Northern Hemisphere, winters into tropics and Southern Hemisphere
Clutch size
2–3 eggs
Incubation period
About 21–25 days
Size
Medium tern (31–35cm)
Wingspan
~77–98cm
Weight
~110–145g
A widespread and adaptable tern, grey-backed with a black cap in breeding plumage, occurring in Bornean coastal waters chiefly as a passage migrant and winter visitor.
Plunge-dives for small fish from a hovering position, often in mixed flocks with other terns, and shows considerable variation in bill and leg colour between age and season.
