Atlantic white tern vs Common tern
The common tern is heavier: 129.2 g against 117 g for the Atlantic white tern, about 10% more.
Photo: Drew Avery · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Alexis Lours · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a Atlantic white tern and a common tern?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The common tern is heavier: 129.2 g against 117 g for the Atlantic white tern, about 10% more.
- The common tern is longer-lived: 33 years against 17.8 years for the Atlantic white tern, about 85% longer.
- They share the family Laridae but sit in different genera: Atlantic white tern in Gygis, Common tern in Sterna.
- Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Side by side
| Atlantic white tern | Common tern | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Gygis alba | Sterna hirundo |
| Family | Laridae | Laridae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 115.5 g – 379.5 g | 124 g – 129.2 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 17.8 years | 33 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | marine | marine |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| 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: Atlantic white ternFull record: Common ternCompare other animals