Little Tern

The Little Tern is one of the smallest members of the tern family, a delicate seabird found breeding along coasts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Despite its diminutive size, it is a bold and energetic flier, beating its narrow wings rapidly as it patrols the shallows in search of fish.

Appearance

Breeding adults show pale grey upperparts, white underparts, a black cap, and a distinctive white forehead patch that separates the cap from a black eye-stripe. The bill is yellow with a crisp black tip, and the legs are orange-yellow. In non-breeding plumage the black cap becomes patchy and the bill darkens.

Key field marks

• Very small size, noticeably smaller than most other terns
• Yellow bill with a black tip
• White forehead patch bordered by a black cap and eye-stripe
• Orange-yellow legs
• Rapid, fluttering wingbeats and frequent hovering before diving

Similar species

The Little Tern is easily confused with the New World Least Tern (a separate species), but the two do not overlap in range. It can also be told from larger terns such as the Common Tern by its much smaller size, quicker wingbeats, and habit of hovering conspicuously before each dive.

Habitat and range

Little Terns nest colonially on open sand, shingle, or shell beaches, as well as gravel bars along rivers and salt pans, usually close to shallow water where they can fish. The species breeds widely across coastal Europe, parts of Africa, and Asia, extending to Australia (where a resident and migratory population occurs).

Most populations are migratory, with European and Asian breeders wintering along tropical African and South Asian coastlines. Because they nest in the open on beaches, colonies are vulnerable to disturbance, flooding, and predation.

Behavior

Little Terns feed by hovering a few meters above the water and then plunge-diving to snatch small fish and invertebrates near the surface. They often forage in small groups over shallow bays, lagoons, and river mouths.

Voice

The call is a sharp, high-pitched "kirri-kirri" or rasping "kik-kik" given in flight, especially when alarmed near the colony.

Nesting and breeding

Pairs nest in loose colonies, scraping a shallow depression directly in sand or shingle with little or no lining. Typically two to three eggs are laid, camouflaged to match the substrate. Both parents incubate and defend the nest, dive-bombing intruders that approach too closely.