Little Tern

Sternula albifrons (Pallas, 1764)

≈26 cmLength52 cmWingspan57 gWeight

It is a small tern with a white forehead, black-tipped yellow bill and yellow legs in the breeding season.

Busiest months: May · Most records: China, United Kingdom, Australia

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

White forehead in the breeding season
Bill slender, pointed and yellow with a black tip
Legs yellow
Forehead whiter, bill black and legs darker in winter

Voice

Loud, distinctive quacking calls.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: May · Most records: China, United Kingdom, Australia

Little Tern has been recorded at 1,543 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 116 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Western Treatment PlantAustralia2,088 records
Pak Thale Nature ReserveThailand1,863 records
Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom1,707 records

More places

Cairns EsplanadeAustralia1,681 records
Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom1,358 records
Lake WollumboolaAustralia1,226 records
Hualien River Estuary IBATaiwan (China)1,223 records
Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom1,124 records
Eilat north beachIsrael1,051 records
Nanpu MudflatChina877 records

Countries and regions with the most records

China United Kingdom Australia Spain Portugal Thailand Singapore Israel

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The little tern (Sternula albifrons) is a small seabird of the family Laridae. It is widely distributed breeding on the coasts and inland waterways of Europe, Asia, north and west Africa, and eastern Australia. It winters in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Little Tern?

The Little Tern is about ≈26 cm long, with a wingspan of 52 cm and weighs around 57 g.

Where does the Little Tern live?

Its breeding range: Africa, Palearctic, Oriental, Australasia: western Europe, southwestern Russia, Central Asia, Mongolia to southeastern Russia, Japan, eastern China, Taiwan (China) and Vietnam; northern, western Africa; Persian Gulf and Iraq to Indus Valley (Pakistan) and Gangetic Plain (north-central India); Sri Lanka; Gulf of Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and islands off Greater Sundas; off New Britain (southeastern Bismarck Archipelago), Bougainville (northern Solomon Islands); coastal northwestern, northern, eastern, southeastern Australia and Tasmania; and Saipan (southern Northern Mariana Islands, northwestern Micronesia). It is most often recorded in China, United Kingdom and Australia.

When is the best time to see the Little Tern?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Little Tern endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Little Tern as Least Concern.

What does the Little Tern eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Little Tern in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Length: ≈26 cm
Wingspan: 52 cm
Weight: 57 g
Habitat: Coast & tidal flats
Diet: Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle: Feeds in the air
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 170 mm
Tail: 80 mm
Bill: 34 mm
Tarsus: 15 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa, Palearctic, Oriental, Australasia: western Europe, southwestern Russia, Central Asia, Mongolia to southeastern Russia, Japan, eastern China, Taiwan (China) and Vietnam; northern, western Africa; Persian Gulf and Iraq to Indus Valley (Pakistan) and Gangetic Plain (north-central India); Sri Lanka; Gulf of Thailand, Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and islands off Greater Sundas; off New Britain (southeastern Bismarck Archipelago), Bougainville (northern Solomon Islands); coastal northwestern, northern, eastern, southeastern Australia and Tasmania; and Saipan (southern Northern Mariana Islands, northwestern Micronesia)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 1

Sternula albifrons sinensis Indus River basin (Pakistan), Gangetic Plain (nc India); Sri Lanka; se Russia through Japan, Korean Pen., e China, Taiwan (China), Vietnam and Mindanao (s Philippines); Gulf of Thailand, Malay Pen., Singapore, and islands off Greater Sundas; off New Britain (se Bismarck Arch.), Bougainville (n Solomon Is.); coastal nw, n, Australia; and Saipan (s Northern Mariana Is., nw Micronesia) | non-breeding: Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, coastal New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand and w Micronesia