Common tern vs Roseate tern
The common tern is heavier: 129.2 g against 112 g for the roseate tern, about 15% more.
Photo: Alexis Lours · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: MPF · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
What is the difference between a common tern and a roseate tern?
Each point below is worked out from a pair of recorded values.
- The common tern is heavier: 129.2 g against 112 g for the roseate tern, about 15% more.
- The common tern is longer-lived: 33 years against 23.8 years for the roseate tern, about 38% longer.
- Both belong to the genus Sterna, so they are close relatives.
- Both are listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Side by side
| Common tern | Roseate tern | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Sterna hirundo | Sterna dougallii |
| Family | Laridae | Laridae |
| Order | Charadriiformes | Charadriiformes |
| Weight | 124 g – 129.2 g | 112 g – 117 g |
| Length | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | 33 years | 23.8 years |
| Main food | Not recorded | Not recorded |
| Habitat | marine | marine |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Countries recorded | Not recorded | 1 |
A scale drawing needs a recorded length for both animals; only weights are on record for this pair.
Full record: Common ternFull record: Roseate ternCompare other animals