Common Tern (Sterna hirundo)Where and when to see it in the UK
Summer visitor · reporting peaks July · Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls · BOU category AF
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Common Tern has been recorded in 1,501 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (51%) in records to 2026. Summer visitor in the UK. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Wales. Reporting peaks in July.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 32% or more of visits
- High
- 11% to 32%
- Moderate
- 4% to 11%
- Low
- under 4%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| February | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| March | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| April | 30% | 5% | Low |
| May | 77% | 13% | Very high |
| June | 77% | 13% | Very high |
| July | 100% | 17% | Very high |
| August | 80% | 14% | Very high |
| September | 27% | 5% | Low |
| October | 5% | <1% | Low |
| November | 0% | <1% | Low |
| December | 0% | <1% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in July
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| D14 | Causeway Coast and Glens, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| D30 | Mid and East Antrim, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H32 | Fermanagh and Omagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H96 | Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| H99 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| HU35 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| J26 | Lisburn and Castlereagh, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| J48 | Ards and North Down, Northern Ireland | 100% | Very high |
| NA91 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |
| NB01 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | 100% | Very high |