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The Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea ) is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution breeding abundantly in arctic and sub-arctic regions of Europe, AsiaThe continent of Asia is defined by subtracting Europe and Africa from the great land mass of Africa-Eurasia. The boundaries are vague, especially between Asia and Europe: Asia and Africa meet somewhere near the Suez Canal. The boundary between Asia and E and North AmericaNorth America is the third largest continent in area and the fourth ranked in population. It is bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific Ocea as far south as BrittanyRegion Bretagne Details Information Capital: Rennes Population Total Density 2 972 700 2003 107 /km² Area27 208 km² Arrondissements15 Cantons201 Communes1 268 President of the regional council Jean-Yves Le Drian Departements Cotes-d'Armor (22) Ille-et-Vil and MassachusettsMassachusetts is a state of the United States of America, part of the New England region. postal abbreviation is MA and its traditional abbreviation is Mass . It is properly called the Commonwealth of Massachusetts although there is no legal distinction b. It is strongly migratoryLong-distance land bird migration Many species of land birds migrate very long distances, the most common pattern being for birds to breed in the temperate or arctic northern hemisphere and winter in warmer regions, often in the tropics or the southern he, wintering in the Antarctic. This 19,000 km (12,000 mile) journey ensures that this bird sees more daylight than any other creature on the planet. One particularly spectacular example involved an Arctic Tern ringed as a chick not yet able to fly, on the Farne IslandsThe Farne Islands (also referred to less formally as the Farnes are a group of islands off the coast of Northumberland, England. There are between 15 to 20 or more islands depending on the state of the tide. They are scattered about 2. 5 km (1½-4¾ miles) off the NorthumberlandFor other places with this name, see Northumberland Northumberland is a county in England, on the border with Scotland. The county's largest boundaries were from the river Humber in the south, to the Forth in the North, as the kingdom of Northumbria under coast in eastern Britain in summer 1982, which reached Melbourne, Australia in October 1982, a sea journey of over 22,000 km (14,000 miles) in just three months from fledging.

This species breeds in colonies on coasts, islands and occasionally inland on tundra near water. It lays up to four eggs. It is the most aggressive tern, fiercely defensive of its nest and young, and will attack humans and other large predators, usually striking the top or back of the head. Although it is too small to cause serious injury, it is capable of drawing blood. In this it differs from the Common Tern, which usually veers off at the last moment, relying on bluff to deter predators without actually striking.

Like all Sterna terns, Arctic Tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, usually from the sea, though occasionally also fishing in coastal freshwater lagoons. It often dives from a "stepped-hover". The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.

This is a medium-sized tern, most readily confused within its range with the similar Common Tern Sterna hirundo and Roseate Tern Sterna dougalli . Unlike these two, its thin sharp bill is entirely dark red, as are its short legs. Its upperwings are uniformly grey. Its long tail extends beyond the wingtips on the standing bird, unlike Common Tern, but is shorter than that of Roseate Tern. It is not as pale as Roseate Tern, and has longer wings. On the wintering grounds, it also has to be distinguished from the Antarctic Tern Sterna vittata and Kerguelen Tern Sterna virgata; the six-month difference in moult is the best clue here, with Arctic Terns being in winter plumage during the southern summer.

In winter, the forehead and underparts are white. Juvenile Arctic Terns lack the extensive ginger coloration of young Common Terns and the scaly appearance of juvenile Roseate Terns.

The call is a clear piping, similar to the Common Tern's but higher pitched and more strident.