Black-tailed Gull vs Common Tern

Larus crassirostris compared with Sterna hirundo

Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute Black-tailed Gull Common Tern
Scientific Name Larus crassirostris Sterna hirundo
Order Charadriiformes Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Laridae
Conservation Status Least Concern Least Concern
Length
Wingspan 72.8 cm (28.7 in) 50.7 cm (20.0 in)
Weight 675.0 g (23.81 oz) 125.75 g (4.44 oz)
Diet -- --
Clutch Size 2-3 2-3
Population Trend

Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

Black-tailed Gull only

None

Common Tern only

Conservation Status

Least Concern

Black-tailed Gull

Least Concern

Common Tern

About These Birds

Black-tailed Gull

Black-tailed Gull, 44–48 cm, is common on East Asian coasts from Russia to China, Japan, and Korea. Grey mantle, white body, yellow bill with red spot and black subterminal band, yellow legs. Omnivore; very vocal, known as the 'cat gull' for its mewing calls. Migratory; winters south to Vietnam.

Common Tern

Common Tern, 31–35 cm, wingspan 77–98 cm, is among the most widespread seabirds, breeding across the Holarctic and wintering in the Southern Hemisphere. Grey back, white below, orange-red bill with dark tip, black cap. Plunge-dives for fish. One of the longest-distance migrants in the Northern Hemisphere.

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