Roseate Tern Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesRoseate Tern
Breeding adult
Flies with stiff, but shallow rowing wingbeats. Note black cap and long forked tail.
© Alix d'Entremont / Macaulay LibraryNova Scotia, July 29, 2020Breeding adult
Nests and roosts on rocky islands in colonies with other terns.
© Benjamin Clock / Macaulay LibraryMaine, July 12, 2012Not all videos have sound
Breeding adult
Medium-sized, very pale gray tern with a long forked tail. Bill color varies from entirely black to having orange at the base depending on time of year. Note black crown and rounded head.
© Shawn Billerman / Macaulay LibraryNew York, June 10, 2017Breeding adult
The long, forked tail extends beyond the wingtips when resting. The pale rose color on the belly for which it is named is often not visible.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, August 14, 2016Juvenile
Juveniles have a scaly looking back and a smudgy crown and forehead.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, August 14, 2016Similar SpeciesCommon Tern
Breeding adult
Common Terns are heavier bodied with slightly broader wings and shorter tails than Roseate Terns. Breeding Common has a mostly red bill, whereas Roseate's bill is more slender and mostly black. Common Tern has a black trailing edge to the wingtip; Roseate Tern has the black line on the leading edge.
© Mikaela Kropp / Macaulay LibraryDelaware, August 10, 2017Similar SpeciesCommon Tern
Nonbreeding adult
Common Terns are slightly darker than Roseate Terns, with a slightly heavier bill and a shorter tail that does not extend past the tips of the folded wings.
© S. K. Jones / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, August 30, 2017Similar SpeciesCommon Tern
Immature
Immature and nonbreeding Common Terns have a dark bar on the leading edge of the folded wing, which Roseate Terns lack.
© Jody Wells / Macaulay LibraryBritish Columbia, September 25, 2017Similar SpeciesForster's Tern
Breeding adult
Forster's Terns are heavier bodied and are slightly darker above than Roseate Terns. They have a slightly shorter tail that barely extends past past the tips of the folded wings.
© Brendan Klick / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, May 15, 2016Similar SpeciesForster's Tern
Nonbreeding adult
Forster's Terns are slightly more full-bodied than Roseate Terns. Forster's has a grayish tail, slightly darker than Roseate's white tail. Forster's Terns have black trailing edges to the wingtips; Roseate Terns have the black line on the leading edge.
© Alex Lamoreaux / Macaulay LibraryFlorida, February 15, 2017Similar SpeciesArctic Tern
Breeding adult
Arctic Terns have a shorter bill, tail, and legs than Roseate Terns. Breeding Arctic Terns have gray underparts and a red bill, whereas Roseate Terns are white below with a mostly blackish bill.
© Brian Sullivan / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, May 20, 2012Similar SpeciesArctic Tern
Juvenile
Juvenile Arctic Terns have a white forehead and lack the dark scaling on the back that juvenile Roseate Terns show.
© Ryan Schain / Macaulay LibraryMunster, September 06, 2016Similar SpeciesLeast Tern
Breeding adult
Least Terns are smaller than Roseate Terns with a yellow bill and legs, unlike Roseate Tern's blackish bill and legs.
© Jonathan Eckerson / Macaulay LibraryRhode Island, August 02, 2015Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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