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Sterna hirundo

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IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC)

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Sterna hirundo Linnaeus 1758 Sterna hirundo Sterna hirundo Linnaeus 1758 Sterna hirundo Linnaeus 1758 Sterna hirundo Linnaeus 1758

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Table Of Contents

Behavior

Source and Additional Information
Animal Diversity Web external link
 
Kristina Sepe
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Some rights reserved

Common terns live in colonies. There is no clearly organized hierarchy among the birds; all appear to be equal. Although all the terns migrate and live together, each family unit is responsible for its own feeding and care of eggs/chicks. They often defend feeding territories. Terns nest during the breeding season and they migrate at the end of the season. (Burger and Gochfeld, 1991; Ehrlich, Dobkin, and Wheye, 1988)

Home Range

We do not have information on home range for this species at this time.

Communication and Perception

Source and Additional Information
Animal Diversity Web external link
 
Kristina Sepe
Some rights reserved
Some rights reserved

Common terns communicate mostly with their unusual, hoarse voices, and they have three different, distinct calls. During mating, communication is mainly visual and tactile. (Malling Olsen and Larsson, 1995)