Black Tern
Habitat and behaviour
Habitat: Reservoirs (passage).
Diet: Insects, small fish.
Best time to spot: Hawks insects over water.
When to look
Resident in the UK, so it can be found year-round. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in British seabirds.
Recent UK sightings
No community sightings logged for this species yet. Log the first one.
Similar birds
- White-winged Tern · Marshes (rare passage)
- Whiskered TernEpic · Inland freshwater marshes
- Little GullRare · Coast
- Black KiteRare · Open country (passage)
- Black-necked GrebeRare · Reservoirs
- Curlew SandpiperRare · Estuaries (autumn passage)
Kit that helps
Best spotting scopes for UK birding. Affiliate links, tested picks, no extra cost to you.
See Black Tern sightings on the map