304 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Family LARIDvE. Genus STERNA. 



Sub-family STERNIN^. 



COMMON TERN. 



STERNA HIRUNDO, Linnceus. 

 Single Brooded. Laying season, end of May and June. 



BRITISH BREEDING AREA : The Common Tern is an 

 abundant and widely distributed species, but becomes 

 rarer in the northern portions of our area, where it is 

 replaced to a more or less extent by the Arctic Tern. 

 It has breeding-places here and there in suitable districts 

 round the coasts of England and Wales. Scattered 

 colonies also occur on both the east and west coasts of 

 Scotland, at least as far north as Skye on the latter, 

 and Moray Firth (in nearly the same latitude), the east 

 coast of Sutherlandshire to the Pentland Skerries, and 

 perhaps the Orkneys, on the former. In Ireland it is 

 more abundant than the Arctic Tern, breeding here and 

 there round the coast, and also on the banks of some of 

 the inland lakes. 



BREEDING HABITS : The Common Tern is a summer 

 migrant to our islands, arriving towards the end of April 

 or early in May. Its favourite haunts are low rocky 

 islands covered with marine vegetation, links, and 

 shingly reaches on quiet, secluded parts of the coast. It 

 is a gregarious species, but the colonies vary a good 

 deal in size, owing to local causes. One of the most 

 extensive colonies is situated on the Fame Islands. 

 This Tern probably pairs for life, and yearly returns to 

 one particular spot to breed, to which the birds are 

 greatly attached. The nests are invariably made on 

 the ground, amongst sea-campion, thrift, or grass, or on 

 some spot where the earth is bare of herbage. I do not 



