Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)

County List:

Rule:

Mixed Forested/Nonforested or Nonforested Landscapes

      (Lake or River)
   adjacent to:
      Shorelines/Mudflats

Habitat List:

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Literature:

Habitat: Colonies of Common Terns nest mainly on bare, sandy, gravelly parts of islands or peninsulas where they are safe from mammalian predation. In Michigan, Common Terns are rarely found in the marsh habitats more preferred by the closely related Forster's Tern. The loss of available beaches to the high water of the 1980's, plant succession, exploding Ring-billed Gull populations, and human use have caused a dramatic decline in the number of breeding Common Terns.

Habitat: Breeding: Gravelly and sandy beaches, grassy uplands, on rocky shores of islands. Winter: Coasts from southern limit of breeding range.

Habitat: Lakes, oceans, bays, beaches. Wide range of aquatic habitats in summer, both coastal and inland waters in low-lying country, where shallow waters for fishing are close to undisturbed flat islands or beaches for nesting.

Diet: Mostly fish. Feeds on a wide variety of small fish, focusing on whatever types are most easily available, sometimes concentrating on shrimp instead. Also eats other crustaceans, insects, marine worms, small squid, leeches.

Nest: Site is on bare ground or surrounded by low vegetation; sometimes on floating mat of dead vegetation. Nest is shallow scrape in soil, usually lined with bits of plant material and debris.