Arctic Tern
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Sterna paradisaea
Locally common Summer visitors from April-October with 55,000 breeding pairs in Britain, plus 3,500 in Ireland.
Winters in Sub Antarctic & Antarctic oceans.
Breeding Adults are grey above, with a black nape and crown and white cheeks & lack the black tip on the bill.
The upperwings are pale grey, with the area near the wingtip being translucent.
The tail is white, and the underparts pale grey.
Both sexes are similar in appearance.
The winter plumage is similar, but the crown is whiter and the bills are darker.
Juveniles have a black bill and legs, "scaly" appearing wings, and mantle with dark feather tips, dark carpal wing bar, and short tail streamers.
The call is more nasal and rasping than that of the Common.