Common Tern vs White-cheeked Pintail

Sterna hirundo compared with Anas bahamensis

Key Differences

• Common Tern is Endangered while White-cheeked Pintail is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Tern	White-cheeked Pintail
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Aves (Birds)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Charadriiformes (Charadriiformes)	Anseriformes (Anseriformes)
Family	Laridae	Anatidae
Genus	Sterna	Anas
Species	Sterna hirundo	Anas bahamensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Tern and White-cheeked Pintail share a common ancestor at the Class level: Aves. (Birds)

Conservation Status

Common Tern

EN — Endangered

White-cheeked Pintail

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Tern	White-cheeked Pintail
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Tern

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, flooded grasslands and savannas, and montane grasslands and shrublands, among 9 distinct biome types spanning the Neotropic and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (7 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

White-cheeked Pintail

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Israel), Europe (9 countries), and South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela).

Common Tern

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. At high risk of extinction in the wild, with significant population decline and ongoing threats to survival.

White-cheeked Pintail

White-cheeked Pintail (Anas bahamensis) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 6 countries:

🇧🇪 Belgium 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden 🇻🇪 Venezuela