[Length 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Common Tern molting into winter plumage was photographed at Cape May, New Jersey, USA. 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, USA. 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, USA. 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, USA. 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, Texas, USA. 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 12 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Common Tern in flight was photographed at the south jetty, Port Aransas, Texas, USA. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: August 23, 2009)

[Length 13.5 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Common Tern was photographed at one of the many fish ponds, Dongtai, Jiangsu, China. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: May 11, 2017)

[Length 13.5 in. Wingspan 30 in.]

This Common Tern was photographed at one of the many fish ponds, Dongtai, Jiangsu, China. Photo taken with a AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED lens on a Nikon D7100 camera. (Date: May 11, 2017)