Common tern

Common tern photographed in Manitoba

The common tern is the picture of grace over the water. It hovers, wings beating fast, with its head angled down and its bill pointing at the surface, and then plunges headfirst for a small fish. The black cap, red-orange bill, and long streaming tail feathers make it one of the more elegant fliers of Manitoba’s lakes.

Terns nest in noisy colonies on islands and open shorelines, laying their eggs in a shallow scrape on sand or gravel. The adults defend the colony fiercely, dive-bombing anyone who gets too close. They spend the winter along the coasts of South America, so the terns seen in Manitoba each summer have travelled thousands of kilometres to be here.

I love the grace of a common tern hovering over the water just before it plunges for a fish.

For more on the common tern and its habitat, see its species guide at All About Birds.

Field notes in photographs

  • Common tern photographed in Manitoba
  • Common tern with a black cap and orange-red bill standing on rocks, Manitoba
  • Tern passing a fish to its mate
  • Common tern perched on a weathered post

Common tern Manitoba sightings

Where and when you can find the common tern in Manitoba depends on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Map of Manitoba showing where the common tern nests, with major cities and lakes
Where to look for the common tern in Manitoba through the seasons: nesting in the Boreal Shield, the Taiga Shield, the Hudson Plains, the Boreal Plains, and the Prairies (gold). Habitat regions: National Ecological Framework for Canada. Boundaries: Statistics Canada. Lakes: Natural Earth.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.

Follow new photos

New work is shared on Facebook and Bluesky first.

Follow on FacebookFollow on Bluesky