Arctic Tern vs Great Blue Heron

Sterna paradisaea 比較対象 Ardea herodias

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Side-by-Side Comparison

属性 Arctic Tern Great Blue Heron
学名 Sterna paradisaea Ardea herodias
Charadriiformes Pelecaniformes
Laridae Ardeidae
保全状況 Least Concern Least Concern
体長 34.0 cm (13.4 in) 117.0 cm (46.1 in)
翼開長 80.0 cm (31.5 in) 183.0 cm (72.0 in)
体重 110.0 g (3.88 oz) 2400.0 g (84.66 oz)
食性 Small fish and crustaceans caught by plunge-diving from the air. Hovers briefly before diving. Primarily fish, also frogs, snakes, small mammals, insects, and other birds. Hunts by standing motionless …
一腹卵数 2-3 2-7
Population Trend
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Size Comparison

Body Length
Arctic Tern 34.0 cm
Great Blue Heron 117.0 cm
翼開長
Arctic Tern 80.0 cm
Great Blue Heron 183.0 cm
体重
Arctic Tern 110.0 g
Great Blue Heron 2400.0 g
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Habitat Comparison

共通生息地

Arctic Tern only

Great Blue Heron only

None

Arctic Tern

Breeds on coastal and tundra habitats. Spends most of its life at sea over the open ocean. Nests in colonies on beaches and rocky shores.

Great Blue Heron

Wetlands of all types including marshes, swamps, riverbanks, lake edges, and coastal shores. Also hunts in fields and meadows.

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Song & Call Comparison

Arctic Tern

さえずり

A sharp, grating 'kree-yah' alarm call. Also gives 'kik-kik-kik' near the nest. Highly aggressive vocally during the Arctic breeding season. Calls are harsh and insistent.

Great Blue Heron

さえずり

Deep, harsh, croaking 'frahnk-frahnk' call in flight. Also gives low guttural grunts at the nest. Alarmed birds give repeated croaks. Mostly silent for such a large wader.

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Geographic Range & Migration

Arctic Tern

Breeds in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. Migrates to the Antarctic, experiencing two summers per year. Found on every ocean.

Great Blue Heron

North and Central America from Alaska and southern Canada to the Caribbean and Galapagos Islands.

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保全状況

Least Concern

Arctic Tern

Least Concern

Great Blue Heron

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How to Tell Them Apart

Arctic Tern

羽毛

Pale grey upperparts, white underparts with a black cap. Blood-red bill and short red legs. Deeply forked tail streamers. Winter adults lose the full black cap.

くちばし

Slender, pointed, bright red bill

Great Blue Heron

羽毛

Blue-grey body with a white head bearing a broad black stripe extending to a long black plume. Rufous-brown thighs. In flight, the neck is folded into an S-shape.

くちばし

Long, dagger-like yellowish bill

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About These Birds

Arctic Tern

キョクアジサシはあらゆる動物の中で最長の渡りを行い、毎年北極と南極を往復する約7万kmの旅をする。30年の寿命の中に、月への往復3回分に相当する飛翔距離を積み重ねる可能性がある。地球上でどの生物よりも多くの昼光を経験するこの驚異的な鳥は、太陽を追い続ける。

Great Blue Heron

The great blue heron is the largest heron in North America, standing up to 1.4 meters tall. These patient hunters can stand motionless for extended periods before striking at prey with remarkable speed. They nest in large colonies called heronries, often returning to the same site year after year.

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