🐦

Little Tern

Sternula albifrons

Not yet photographed by the community

Smallest tern; frantic wingbeats; yellow bill with black tip.

Species Profile

Red List (breeding population declining significantly)

Lifespan: 12–15 years in the wild
Size & Weight: 22–24 cm, wingspan 41–47 cm; 30–42 g
Habitat: Coastal areas with sandy or shingle beaches, shallow lagoons, and estuaries where it can nest on open ground and feed in shallow waters.
UK Distribution: Summer breeder and passage migrant along UK coasts, particularly in southern and eastern England. Arrives April–May and departs by September; absent in winter.
Diet: Small fish, primarily sand eels, sprats, and small silversides caught by diving into shallow water.
Prey: Sand eels, sprats, silversides, small anchovies
Predators: Great Black-backed Gulls, Herring Gulls, foxes, stoats, egg collectors, and human disturbance at nesting sites
Mating Season: April to August
Breeding: Clutch of 2–3 eggs, incubation period 21–22 days, fledging at 19–20 days. Usually one brood per season; both parents incubate and feed chicks.
Behaviour: Highly vocal and agile fliers, hovering over water before plunge-diving for fish. Highly colonial breeders, often nesting in loose groups. Males perform spectacular aerial displays during courtship.

Did You Know?

•The Little Tern is the smallest tern species breeding in the UK
•UK breeding population has declined by over 70% since the 1970s, primarily due to habitat loss and human disturbance
•They feed exclusively in shallow water, typically less than 2 metres deep
•Little Terns return to the same breeding colonies year after year, showing strong site fidelity
•Males present small fish to females as part of courtship and pair-bonding behaviour

🐦

No photos yet

Be the first to photograph a Little Tern and share it with the community.