Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Aves › Charadriiformes › Laridae › Sternula
Conservation status: least_concern
The little tern is a seabird of the family Laridae. It was first described by the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas in 1764 and given the binomial name Sterna albifrons. It was moved to the genus Sternula when the genus Sterna was restricted to the larger typical terns. The genus name Sternula is a diminutive of Sterna, 'tern', while the specific name albifrons is from Latin albus, 'white', and frons, 'forehead'.
How To Identify
They are characterized by their compact size and sleek body structure, featuring bright white undersides contrasting with grayer backs and heads.
Habitat
It inhabits coastal and inland water environments including sandy beaches, river islands, lagoons, and shallow lakes across temperate and tropical regions.
Behaviour
Little Terns hunt by hovering above water and plunge-diving for small fish, often working in loose feeding flocks and nesting in small colonies on bare or sparsely vegetated ground.
Native Range
The little tern is widely distributed breeding on the coasts and inland waterways of Europe Asia north and west Africa and eastern Australia.
Did You Know?
The Little Tern is the smallest tern species in the world, weighing only 25–45 grams, yet it undertakes impressive intercontinental migrations covering thousands of kilometers between breeding and wintering grounds.
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