Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls
Aleutian Tern
Onychoprion aleuticus
- Family
- Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls (Laridae)
- Order
- Charadriiformes
Overview
The Aleutian tern (Onychoprion aleuticus) is a migratory bird living in the subarctic region of the globe most of the year. It is frequently associated with the Arctic tern, which it closely resembles. While both species have a black cap, the Aleutian tern may be distinguished by its white forehead (although juvenile Arctic terns also have white foreheads). During breeding season, the Arctic terns have bright red bills, feet, and legs while those of the Aleutian terns are black.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds North Pacific coasts from Sakhalin, Sea of Okhotsk, and Kamchatka (eastern Russia) eastward through Aleutian Islands and to southwestern Alaska; winters coastal Thailand and Philippines eastward to New Guinea and east-central Australia; migrates along w North Pacific coast via Japan southward toTaiwan.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Aleutian tern
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
