From Opus

Photo by soenke
in Baltic Sea near German coast

Sternula albifrons

Sterna albifrons

[edit] Identification

L. 21-25 cm Ws. 41-47 cm

• Yellow bill with black tip
• Yellow legs

[edit] Variation

Subspecies sinensis has grey rump and uppertail.

[edit] Similar species

Saunders's Tern

[edit] Distribution

Europe and Asia; strongly migratory.

[edit] Taxonomy

This species was formerly placed in the genus Sterna
Little Tern is closely related to, and was formerly often considered conspecific with, Saunders's Tern, and with the Least Tern S. albifrons of the New World. Other close relatives include the Yellow-billed Tern S. superciliaris and Peruvian Tern S. lorata, both from South America.

[edit] Subspecies

There are 6 subspecies^[1]:

• S. a. albifrons:

• Europe to western Asia and west Indian Ocean; winters Africa to India

• S. a. guineae:

• Ghana to Gabon

• S. a. innominata:

• Islands in Persian Gulf

• S. a.pusilla:

• North-eastern India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and islands off Sumatra and Java

• S. a. sinensis:

• South-eastern Russia to Japan, South-eastern Asia, Philippines and New Guinea

• S. a. placens:

• Eastern Australia and eastern Tasmania

[edit] Habitat

Sand, gravel or shingle coasts and islands. The nesting area will most often be located close to both the sea and to fresh water, but in southern areas also found near freshwater such as rivers.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

The 1 - 3 eggs are laid on the ground. The nest is a scrape in the ground, usually on a shingle beach. The pair take turns incubating the eggs which hatch after 18 to 21 days. Chicks start to fly after 8 to 14 days but are not fully fledged until they are 28 days old.

Little Terns are fiercely protective of the eggs and chicks and will follow and harass any perceived predator.

[edit] Diet

It plunge-dives for fish.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Birdforum thread discussing id of Saunders' vs Little Tern

• List of references

[edit] External Links

Read about the Little Tern Conservation Project at Baltray, Co. Louth, Ireland and view photographs on the Gallery