- Lifespan
- 15–20 years in the wild, with some individuals recorded living over 30 years
- Size & Weight
- 34–35 cm long, wingspan 65–75 cm; 90–150 g
- Habitat
- Coastal and inland waterways including lakes, reservoirs, gravel pits, and estuaries with shallow water for diving and breeding islands or shingle banks.
- UK Distribution
- Summer breeding visitor to the UK from April to October, with populations distributed along coasts and major inland water bodies throughout England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Winters in West Africa.
- Diet
- Primarily small fish caught by plunge-diving, including sand eels, sprats, silversides, and small roach.
- Prey
- Sand eels, sprats, silversides, roach, and other small fish typically 8–12 cm in length
- Predators
- Great Black-backed Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls, mink, foxes, and corvids targeting eggs and chicks; Peregrine Falcons prey on adults in flight
- Mating Season
- April to August
- Breeding
- Clutch size 2–3 eggs, incubation period 21–22 days, fledging at 24–30 days; typically single-brooded with both parents sharing incubation and chick-rearing duties
- Behaviour
- Highly social and colonial breeder, with individuals performing elaborate courtship displays including fish-offerings and aerial chases. Terns are renowned for their precision diving and territorial defence, with parents fiercely protecting nests and young. They communicate with distinctive harsh calls and are often seen hovering over water before plunging to catch prey.