Gulls and terns · Shorebirds
Little Tern
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Sternula albifrons
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Voice
Call
Call
Call
How to recognize it
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Length 21–25 cm
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In breeding plumage, white forehead and incomplete black cap
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Yellow bill with black tip, yellowish legs
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Catches small fish by plunge-diving; loud creaking call
About the species
In breeding plumage, the Little Tern has pale gray wings and back, with a white underside. A white forehead breaks into its black cap, and its yellow bill ends in a black tip. Its legs are yellow too.
It plunges into shallow water to catch fish, and its loud call has a creaking sound, like a hinge. Pairs nest in colonies on open gravel or shingle, where adults will attack intruders that come too close to their eggs or chicks.
It breeds along coasts and inland waterways, including large rivers. Along with fish, it takes crustaceans, molluscs, snails, and insects from shallows and quiet rivers, then migrates south to subtropical and tropical seas for winter, reaching as far as South Africa and Australia.
Where to find
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On gravel or shingle coasts and islands during the breeding season, watch colonies from a distance: Little Terns nest on bare ground, and adults defend their nests against intruders.
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Along the coast, watch for sudden plunges from the air into the water as fish are caught.
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At shoals in quiet rivers, watch for feeding in the shallows; prey includes small fish, crustaceans, molluscs and insects.
