Terns & Auks
Worldwide there are 44 species of Terns in the family of Sternidae, of which 17 have occurred in the UK. The family is characterised by long, narrow, pointed wings and forked tails. Some species migrate over extreme distances. There are 5 species that breed in the UK; Little, Sandwich, Common, Arctic and Roseate. Caspian and White-winged Terns are annual vagrants and Black Tern is a passage visitor. Gull-billed, Forster's and Whiskered Terns are rare vagrants with Royal, Sooty and Bridled Terns being very rare. In 1984 a Lesser Crested Tern bred with a Sandwich Tern in Northumberland. In France, an Elegant Tern, a Nearctic species, has also inter-bred with a Sandwich Tern. There are also accidental records of Aleutian Tern and American Little Tern in the UK.
The Auks (Alcidae) comprise a World family of 23 species, which also includes the Murres and Puffins. Four species breed in this country; Atlantic Puffin, Black Guillemot, Common Guillemot, and Razorbill. Little Auk is a winter visitor, and Brunnich's Guillemot a rare vagrant. An accidental Ancient Murrelet was seen around Lundy between 1990-92 (presumably the same bird) and a Long-billed Murrelet caused excitement for a few days off Dawlish in November 2006. It was only the second one seen in the Western Palearctic.
The Great Auk is still on the British List, but has been extinct since 1844. The last known pair were killed in Iceland
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