[Length 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

Common Terns are almost circumpolar in their distribution. In North America they breed throughout southern Canada and along the northern states of the US except British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. This one was photographed as it hunted fish trapped in a tidal pool at Stone Harbor Point, New Jersey. Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: July 1988)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Common Tern was photographed near a traditional nesting site at Holgate, New Jersey. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: August 1984)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Common Tern molting into winter plumage was photographed at Cape May, New Jersey. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film. (Date: August 1983)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Common Tern chick was photographed near a traditional nesting site at Holgate, New Jersey. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: August 1984)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Common Tern in flight was photographed at Stone Harbor, New Jersey. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: July 1988)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Common Tern in flight was photographed at Stone Harbor, New Jersey. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: July 1988)

[Length 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Least Tern was photographed at the Boca Chica beach, TX. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D300 camera. (Date: May 4, 2009)

[Length 17 in. Wingspan 34 in.]

This Elegant Tern was photographed along the coast near Santa Maria, California. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF f4.0 lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: September 1997)