Arctic terns are long-lived birds, with many reaching fifteen to thirty years of age.

[5] The Scots names pictarnie,[6] tarrock[7] and their many variants are also believed to be onomatopoeic, derived from the distinctive call.

[9] The Arctic tern has a continuous worldwide circumpolar breeding distribution; there are no recognized subspecies.

It can be found in coastal regions in cooler temperate parts of North America and Eurasia during the northern summer.

During the southern summer, it can be found at sea, reaching the northern edge of the Antarctic ice.

The long journey ensures that this bird sees two summers per year and more daylight than any other creature on the planet.

[11] One example of this bird's remarkable long-distance flying abilities involves an Arctic tern ringed as an unfledged chick on the Farne Islands, Northumberland, UK, in the northern summer of 1982 that reached Melbourne, Australia in October, just three months after fledging – a journey of more than 22,000 km (14,000 mi).

[13] A 2010 study using tracking devices attached to the birds showed that the above examples are not unusual for the species.

In fact, the study showed that previous research had seriously underestimated the annual distances travelled by the Arctic tern.

[16] A 2013 tracking study of half a dozen Arctic terns breeding in the Netherlands[17] shows average annual migrations of c. 48,700 km (30,300 mi).

[18] Arctic terns usually migrate sufficiently far offshore that they are rarely seen from land outside the breeding season.

The Arctic tern's call is more nasal and rasping than that of the common, and is easily distinguishable from that of the roseate.

[27] Breeding takes place in colonies on coasts, islands and occasionally inland on tundra near water.

[19] If the parents are disturbed and flush from the nest frequently the incubation period could be extended to as long as 34 days.

[32] Arctic terns are long-lived birds that spend considerable time raising only a few young, and are thus said to be K-selected.

[10][19] Fish species comprise the most important part of the diet, and account for more of the biomass consumed than any other food.

Sometimes, these birds also eat molluscs, marine worms, or berries, and on their northern breeding grounds, insects.

[29] It is also thought that Arctic terns may, in spite of their small size, occasionally engage in kleptoparasitism by swooping at birds so as to startle them into releasing their catches.

[35] While feeding, skuas, gulls, and other tern species will often harass the birds and steal their food.

[1] Arctic terns are among the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds applies.

[38] In Iceland, the Arctic tern has been regionally uplisted to Vulnerable as of 2018, due to the crash of sandeel (Ammodytes spp.)

[29] The Arctic terns' dispersal pattern is affected by changing climatic conditions,[40] and its ability to feed in its Antarctic wintering is dependent on sea-ice cover, but unlike breeding species, it is able to move to a different area if necessary, and can be used as a control to investigate the effect of climate change on breeding species.

[42] The Arctic tern was featured prominently in a sketch on the improv comedy television show Whose Line Is It Anyway?

[43] In the sketch, Colin alluded the call of the arctic tern to sounding like the band name Backstreet Boys.