terns
Fork-tailed coastal fliers
Terns are seabirds related to gulls but typically more slender and graceful, with pointed wings, forked tails, and sharp bills.
They are found worldwide near coastlines, lakes, and rivers, where they dive headfirst into water to catch fish.
Common species include the Arctic tern, famous for its pole-to-pole migration—the longest of any bird.
A flock of terns wheeled above the pier.
Of extreme northern cold
- commonWidespread and unremarkable
- roseatePink-hued or hopeful
- sootyCovered in black residue
- royalOf monarchs
Caspian · sandwich · least · fairy · colonies · nesting · chicks · fledgling
Gilled aquatic vertebrate
schooling · anchovies · sand eels · foraging · hunting · shallow waters · bill · swallow
Land-water boundary
- sandbanksAccumulated sand formations underwater
- dunesWind-formed sand ridges
- estuaryTidal mixing zone
- tidalOf sea rhythms
seashore · saltmarsh · intertidal · littoral · rockpools · lagoon · mudflats · breeding grounds
arctic
Of extreme northern cold
royal · Caspian · sandwich · least · fairy · colonies · nesting · chicks · fledgling · eggs
fish
Gilled aquatic vertebrate
prey · schooling · anchovies · sand eels · foraging · hunting · shallow waters · bill · swallow
shoreline
Land-water boundary
tidal · seashore · saltmarsh · intertidal · littoral · rockpools · lagoon · mudflats · breeding grounds · shingle
graceful
Elegant in movement
- hoveringSuspended without support
- aerialElevated, or signal-catcher
- glideMove with effortless continuity
soaring · swooping · agile · acrobatic · buoyant · skimming · pursuit · foraging · elegant · darting
migration
Movement to new territory
long-distance · seasonal · journey · navigation · stopover · breeding · biannual · pathways · flocks · homeward
- gulls and ternsgull, gulls, seagull, kittiwake, kittiwakes
- birdsrobin, crow, eagle, owl, duck
- flock birdsstarlings, geese, crows, pigeons, sparrows
- island wildlifemarine iguana, Darwin's finches, Galapagos tortoise, giant tortoise, giant tortoises
- seabirdspenguin, penguins, pelican, pelicans, seagull
- waterbirdsducks, auk, geese, bittern, swans