©Bertie Gregory/2020VISION

Sandwich tern

Found around our coasts during the breeding season, the large Sandwich tern can be spotted diving into the sea for fish such as sandeels. It nests in colonies on sand and shingle beaches, and islands.

Scientific name

Sterna sandvicensis

When to see

March to September

Species information

Statistics

Length: 36-41cm
Wingspan: 95-105cm
Weight: 210-260g
Average lifespan: 12 years

Conservation status

Classified in the UK as Amber under the Birds of Conservation Concern 5: the Red List for Birds (2021).

Habitats

Coastal

About

The Sandwich tern is a relatively large tern, which breeds in colonies on sand and shingle beaches, islands and spits. Sandwich terns feed on fish, such as sandeels, sprats and whiting, which they catch by diving into the water.

How to identify

The Sandwich tern is whitish-grey above and white below, with a large black cap (the forehead becomes white in winter) and a shaggy, black crest. It has short, black legs, and a black bill with a yellow tip. It has a short tail without 'streamers' (long feathers extending past the main tail).

Distribution

A summer visitor to sandy beaches and islands around our coastline, particularly in the south and east of England.

Did you know?

Named after Sandwich Bay in Kent, the Sandwich tern is one of three birds to be named after Kent - the others are the Kentish plover and the Dartford warbler.