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10

Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) Size: 21-25 cm; wing span: 41-47 cm Weight: 50 g (average)

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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 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 Arabia Little Terns are seen only occasionally, mostly along the coastal fringe and mostly as summer visitors or on passage. Little Terns can be found in estuaries, above coastal waters, farther out at sea and on beaches, where they nest.

Sightings Click here for sighting information We have not seen Little Terns in Oman yet, but have found race "sinensis" in Australia.

Photos

No photos are available from Oman yet, but Little Terns, race "sinensis", were photographed by us in Australia.

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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