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Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) German name(s): "Zwergseeschwalbe" Size: 21-25 cm; wing span: 41-47 cm Body mass: 42-65 g Wing loading [g/cm2]: 0.24

Europe: Family Group 10 Family Group 10 Table Great Skua Arctic Skua Pomarine Skua Caspian Gull Great Black-backed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull American Herring Gull European Herring Gull Yellow-legged Gull Audouin's Gull Slender-billed Gull Iceland Gull Common Gull Ring-billed Gull Black-headed Gull Bonaparte's Gull Mediterranean Gull Little Gull Sabine's Gull Black-legged Kittiwake Caspian Tern Sandwich Tern Gull-billed Tern Common Tern Arctic Tern Little Tern Forster's Tern Whiskered Tern Black Tern White-winged Black Tern Atlantic Puffin Razorbill Common Guillemot Black Guillemot Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names European birds home page

Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Little Terns are small terns. During the breeding season they have a black cap that extends well onto the nape of the neck, white front (throat, neck, chest, belly and vent) and grey wings. The black eyes are surrounded by a black eye stripe, while the frons (base of the bill) is a white triangle extending to above the eyes. The wings, which have black tips, extend beyond the length of the tail when folded. The tail is forked. The bill is yellow with a black tip, the short legs and feet are also yellow. In eclipse the cap becomes white, leaving only a mottled grey semi-circle at the nape of the neck. The bill turns black when not breeding. Juvenile Little Terns have mottled grey caps and wings, with a black bill, but yellow legs. Otherwise they resemble non-breeding adults.

Taxonomy, classification See Little Tern at Wikipedia . Click here for classification information The genus Sterna is now restricted to the large white terns. The Little Tern has been put into the genus Sternula, together with the Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) and Saunders's Tern (Sternula saundersi).

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Little Tern is available HERE . There are 3 extant races of Little Terns, which are a strongly migratory species that breeds in sandy terrain, both along coastlines and on sandbanks or islands of major rivers. The breeding range of nominate race "albifrons" extends from coastal Britain and central Europe, including the Baltic Sea, into the Mediterranean and northern Africa. During the breeding season they are found in large parts of inland eastern Europe, mostly in the area to the North of the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. They breed, for example, along the lower Danube river. During their migration they can be found basically anywhere along the coastlines of Europe from the southern Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and, farther South, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. They spend the northern winter in southern Africa. Race "guineae" is found in western and central Africa. Race "sinensis" breeds in eastern Asia and winters (and also breeds) in parts of South-east Asia and in Australia. In Europe Little Terns are breeding migrants. Apart from coastal areas, they can breed along major rivers and they also nest inland, in the Dnjepr and Volga catchments. Except for the Norwegian coastline (the West coast of Scandinavia), they are present, either while breeding or on migration, along ALL coastlines, including not only the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, but also the Baltic Sea, the British Isles, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. Outside the breeding season Little Terns can be found in estuaries, above coastal waters and on beaches.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "albifrons" J. Pires reports spotting Little Terns, nominate race "albifrons", semi-regularly in the Tejo estuary, Portugal, and also in Montargil, Alentejo, Portugal, in July 2013. Up to ca. 10 birds have been found at any one time. A. Sarok reports finding Little Terns, nominate race "albifrons", in Vojvodina, Serbia, in the timeframe 2010-2024. Race "sinensis" Little Terns, race "sinensis", have been found by us in Australia.

Photos

Race "albifrons"

ADULT

BREEDING

PAIR

Lateral view of a pair of Little Terns in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Sex unknown

Distant frontal view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage looking sideways (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Estacao de Santa Iria da Azoia, Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon, Portugal, May 2023]

Near-lateral view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage on the point of landing (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral view of two Little Terns in breeding plumage, one of which is looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, April 2022]

Lateral view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, April 2022]

Lateral view of a small mob of Little Terns in breeding plumage (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas do Brito, Alcochete, Setubal, Portugal, June 2022]

Frontal view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montijo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]

Near-frontal view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Montijo, Tejo estuary, Portugal, August 2019]

Lateral view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]

Lateral view onto the upperparts of a Little Tern in breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Ribeira das Enguias, Alcochete, Setubal, Portugal, June 2023]

Near-dorsal view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Vila Franca de Xira, Tejo estuary, Portugal, May 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a Little Tern in breeding plumage in flight, wings flat (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas do Brito, Alcochete, Setubal, Portugal, June 2022]

NON-BREEDING

Frontal view of a Little Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alcochete, Tejo estuary, Portugal, September 2018]

Near-frontal view of a Little Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alcochete, Tejo estuary, Portugal, September 2018]

Lateral view of a Little Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight, wings up (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alcochete, Tejo estuary, Portugal, September 2018]

Lateral view of a Little Tern in non-breeding plumage in flight, wings down (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Alcochete, Tejo estuary, Portugal, September 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of a fledgling Little Tern (photo courtesy of A. Sarok)
[Vojvodina, Serbia, date unknown]

Race "sinensis"

Photos of Little Terns, race "sinensis", have been taken by us in Australia.

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Migratory

Elementary unit: Solitary/mob

Food, Diet

Near-dorsal/ventral view of a Little Tern in flight with its catch, a fish (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Ribeira das Enguias, Alcochete, Setubal, Portugal, June 2023]

Dorsal view of a Little Tern in flight with its catch, a fish (photo courtesy of J. Pires)
[Salinas do Brito, Alcochete, Setubal, Portugal, June 2022]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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