The Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) is a sleek, agile seabird widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, and a regular passage migrant through the UAE. With its bright red bill tipped in black, sharp forked tail, and graceful flight, it’s often seen patrolling coastlines, lagoons, and inland wetlands. In breeding plumage, it displays a clean black cap, white underparts, and pale grey wings with darker outer primaries. Its loud, piercing calls and aerial dives for fish make it unmistakable during migration. Though not a resident breeder in the UAE, large numbers pass through in spring and autumn, sometimes seen resting alongside other terns on coastal sandbars and islands.