Antarctic tern vs River tern
The river tern is heavier: 209 g against 139 g for the Antarctic tern, about 50% more.
Photo: Butterfly voyages - Serge Ouachée · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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What is the difference between a Antarctic tern and a river tern?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The river tern is heavier: 209 g against 139 g for the Antarctic tern, about 50% more.
- Both belong to the genus Sterna, so they are close relatives.
- The Antarctic tern is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List; the river tern is Vulnerable.
Side by side
| Antarctic tern | River tern | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sterna vittata | Sterna aurantia |
| Family | Laridae | Laridae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 139 g – 140 g | 209 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | marine | riverine |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Countries recorded | 1 | Not recorded |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: Antarctic ternFull record: River ternCompare other animals