Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
About This Species
Nests on bare sand and shingle beaches and estuary edges across Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, and is best located by its fast, hovering flight and plunge-diving for small fish just offshore. Breeding colonies in late spring and summer are the most reliable place to watch its distinctive fishing behaviour, often close to shore.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Nests are simple scrapes on open beaches and extremely vulnerable to trampling and disturbance, so keep well outside any fenced or roped colony area and give extra space if fencing is not present, since chicks and eggs are near-invisible against sand and shingle.
- Many countries protect colonies of this species specifically under coastal bird conservation law, though the exact designations and penalties vary by country, so following posted signage at known colonies is the safest approach.
LCAvesCharadriiformesLaridae
Seasonal Activity
446,098 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
Photo
(c) PotMart186, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.