Arctic tern vs River tern
The river tern is heavier: 209 g against 110 g for the Arctic tern, about 90% more.
Photo: Jamumiwa · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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What is the difference between a Arctic 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 110 g for the Arctic tern, about 90% more.
- Both belong to the genus Sterna, so they are close relatives.
- The Arctic tern is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List; the river tern is Vulnerable.
Side by side
| Arctic tern | River tern | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sterna paradisaea | Sterna aurantia |
| Family | Laridae | Laridae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 110 g – 117 g | 209 g |
| Length | 33 cm – 36 cm | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 34 years | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal | riverine |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Vulnerable |
| Countries recorded | Not recorded | Not recorded |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: Arctic ternFull record: River ternCompare other animals