From Opus

Revision as of 00:03, 5 July 2012

Photo by soenke
in Baltic Sea near German coast

Sternula albifrons

Sterna albifrons

Identification

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

• Yellow bill with black tip
• Yellow legs

Distribution

Europe and Asia; strongly migratory.

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.

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.

Behaviour

Breeding

1 - 3 eggs are laid on the ground. The nest is a scrape in the ground, ususally 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 percieved predator.

Diet

It plunge-dives for fish.

Voice

External Links

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