Head to head
Common Tern vs Black Tern
The common tern and black tern are both widespread terns of the Northern Hemisphere, but they have settled on very different habitats and hunting styles.
| Common Tern | Black Tern | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sterna hirundo | Chlidonias niger |
| Breeding plumage | Pale grey and white, black cap | Almost entirely black |
| Typical habitat | Coastal, wetlands | Freshwater marsh only |
| Hunting style | Hover and plunge-dive | Hover and dip, no plunge-dive |
| Prey | Small fish | Insects, small fish |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Habitat | Coastal, wetlands | Wetlands |
Common Tern vs Black Tern: common questions
Why is the black tern black while the common tern is pale?
The black tern develops an almost entirely black body during the breeding season, a striking departure from the pale grey and white plumage of the common tern and most other terns, though the black tern turns pale again outside the breeding season.
Do the common tern and black tern hunt the same way?
Not quite, since the common tern hunts mainly by hovering and then plunge-diving into the water, while the black tern hovers low and dips down to snatch insects and small fish from the surface without the same high plunge dive.
Which species is more tied to the coast, the common tern or the black tern?
The common tern is far more tied to the coast, breeding across a wide range of coastal and wetland habitat, while the black tern breeds almost exclusively on freshwater marshes well away from the sea.