Antarctic tern
The Antarctic tern (Sterna vittata) is a seabird in the family Laridae. It ranges throughout the southern oceans and is found on small islands around Antarctica as well as on the shores of the mainland. Its diet consists primarily of small fish and crustaceans. It is very similar in appearance to the closely related Arctic tern, but it is stockier, and it is in its breeding plumage in the southern summer, when the Arctic tern has shed old feathers to get its non-breeding plumage. The Antarctic tern does not migrate like the Arctic tern does, but it can still be found on a very large range. This tern species is actually more closely related to the South American tern.
| Antarctic tern | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Laridae |
| Genus: | Sterna |
| Species: | S. vittata |
| Binomial name | |
| Sterna vittata Gmelin, JF, 1789 | |
Breeding Nonbreeding Year-round Passage | |
Gulls, skuas and jaegers are the primary predators of the bird's eggs and young.
The Antarctic tern can be further divided into six subspecies. The total global population of this bird is around 140,000 individuals.