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Photo.Keely | all galleries >> Travel >> Europe > Artic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)
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25-JUL-2013 Dick Keely

Artic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)

Skagafjordur, Northern Iceland

The Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a circumpolar breeding distribution covering the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of Europe, Asia, and North America (as far south as Brittany and Massachusetts). The species is strongly migratory, seeing two summers each year as it migrates from its northern breeding grounds along a winding route to the oceans around Antarctica and back, a round trip of about 70,900 km (~44,300 miles) each year. This is by far the longest regular migration by any known animal. The Arctic Tern flies as well as glides through the air, performing almost all of its tasks in the air. It nests once every one to three years (depending on its mating cycle); once it has finished nesting it takes to the sky for another long southern migration.
They are medium-sized birds having a length of 33–39 cm (13–15 in) and a wingspan of 76–85 cm (26–30 in). They are mainly grey and white plumaged, with a red beak and feet, white forehead, a black nape and crown (streaked white), and white cheeks.
Arctic Terns are long-lived birds, with many reaching thirty years of age. They eat mainly fish and small marine invertebrates. The species is abundant, with an estimated one million individuals. While the trend in the number of individuals in the species as a whole is not known, exploitation in the past has reduced this bird's numbers in the southern reaches of its range.
Reference: Wikipedia

Nikon D800E ,AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
1/1600s f/11.0 at 210.0mm iso500 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time25-Jul-2013 18:55:34
MakeNikon
ModelNIKON D800E
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length210 mm
Exposure Time1/1667 sec
Aperturef/11
ISO Equivalent500
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance
Metering Mode
JPEG Quality
Exposure Program
Focus Distance7.500 m

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Mark Chambers ARPS AFIAP CPAGB BPE307-Aug-2013 21:21
This is great. V
Martin Lamoon05-Aug-2013 06:12
Superb capture, we have some visiting near us, they have breed well the last few years.
V
Sam Rua05-Aug-2013 03:15
Fantastic high key and comp, Dick. Well done. V
imran ahmed04-Aug-2013 21:34
Brilliant angle. VVV
Ray :)04-Aug-2013 21:26
Fantastic!
Peter Stubley04-Aug-2013 21:09
Nice. Interesting perspective.
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