Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Laridae) · Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)
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Often mixed up with
In quizzes, players most often confuse Common Tern with these birds—either this species was picked by mistake, or the other way around.
| Species | Mix-ups |
|---|---|
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | 550 |
| Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida | 236 |
| Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis | 221 |
| Little Tern Sternula albifrons | 91 |
| Black Tern Chlidonias niger | 77 |
Family
Laridae is a family of seabirds in the order Charadriiformes that includes the gulls, terns (including white terns), noddies, and skimmers. It includes 105 species arranged into 23 genera. They are an adaptable group of mostly aerial birds found worldwide.
Order
Charadriiformes (, from Charadrius, the type genus of family Charadriidae) is a diverse order of small to medium-large birds. It includes about 390 species and has members in all parts of the world. Most charadriiform birds live near water and eat invertebrates or other small animals; however, some are pelagic (seabirds), others frequent deserts, and a few are found in dense forest.