WhenToBird

Sterna hirundo · Laridae

Common Tern: When and Where to See It

Adult Common Tern
Photo: Сергей Неклюдов, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Common Tern reaches South Carolina first, around late March, and Florida last, around mid May.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%1%2%3%Jan 1-7: 0.1% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.1% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 0.1% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.1% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.1% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.1% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.1% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.1% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.1% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.1% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.1% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.1% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.1% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.2% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 0.3% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 0.4% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 0.8% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 1.3% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 1.7% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 1.5% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 1.3% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 1.2% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 1.3% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 1.5% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 1.8% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.1% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.4% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.6% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 2.6% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 2.5% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 2.2% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 1.7% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 1.4% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 1.2% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 1.0% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.7% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.4% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.3% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.2% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.2% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.1% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.1% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.1% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.1% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.1% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.1% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.1% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.1% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
TexasSummer visitorMar 1-7Apr 15-21Nov 8-141.4%
LouisianaSummer visitorMar 22-31Apr 22-30Aug 1-71.2%
South CarolinaSummer visitorMar 22-31Aug 15-21Oct 15-211.5%
New YorkSummer visitorApr 22-30Jul 22-31Sep 1-78.3%
OhioSummer visitorApr 22-30May 8-14Sep 22-304.6%
AlabamaSummer visitorApr 22-30Sep 1-7Oct 8-141.5%
WisconsinSummer visitorApr 22-30May 15-21Aug 8-142.0%
MaineSummer visitorMay 1-7Aug 1-7Aug 22-3118%
ConnecticutSummer visitorMay 1-7Aug 1-7Sep 1-713%
MassachusettsSummer visitorMay 1-7Aug 1-7Sep 15-2114%
New JerseySummer visitorMay 1-7Aug 1-7Sep 8-1413%
MarylandSummer visitorMay 1-7Aug 1-7Sep 22-302.5%
MichiganSummer visitorMay 1-7May 22-31Sep 22-302.5%
MinnesotaSummer visitorMay 1-7May 22-31Aug 15-211.5%
VirginiaSummer visitorMay 1-7Jul 22-31Sep 15-212.1%
VermontSummer visitorMay 1-7Aug 1-7Aug 22-311.6%
Rhode IslandSummer visitorMay 8-14Aug 1-7Sep 1-729%
DelawareSummer visitorMay 8-14Jul 22-31Sep 8-147.0%
New HampshireSummer visitorMay 8-14Jul 22-31Aug 15-215.3%
North CarolinaSummer visitorMay 8-14Aug 8-14Oct 1-73.4%
MississippiSummer visitorMay 8-14Jul 22-31Sep 22-301.4%
North DakotaSummer visitorMay 8-14Jun 1-7Aug 8-141.6%
FloridaSummer visitorMay 15-21Sep 1-7Nov 15-212.2%
IdahoPasses throughAug 15-21Sep 15-21Oct 1-71.4%

Passes through: Idaho

Summer visitor in: Texas, Louisiana, Ohio