Common Tern

The Common Tern is recognized by its black cap, orange-red legs and the dark tip on its orange-red bill. Seal Island is Maine’s largest Common Tern colony with more than 1,500 nesting pairs.

Common Terns migrate south in the fall. In the video clip, Southbound, Dr. Stephen Kress explains their path and the process of guiding fledglings on the journey south. The American population winters in South and Central America.

How do Common Terns respond to seasonal change? The images and video clips captured on Seal Island Audubon Live cams are your springboard to research and discovery.