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Least Tern

Sterna antillarumOrder: CHARADRIIFORMESFamily: Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae)
Least Tern Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: All-purpose
  • Eye Color: Dark brown.
  • Head Pattern: Eyeline, Capped
  • Crown Color: Black
  • Forehead Color: White
  • Nape Color: Black
  • Throat Color: White
  • Cere color: No Data
Least Tern Body Illustration

Body

  • Length Range: 20-23 cm (8-9 in)
  • Weight: 43 g (1.5 oz)
  • Size: Size 2. Small (5 - 9 in)
  • Color: White, Black, Gray
  • Underparts: White
  • Upperparts: Gray
  • Back Pattern: Solid
  • Belly Pattern: Solid
  • Breast Pattern: Solid
Least Tern Flight Illustration

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Bouyant graceful fast flight with rapid wing beats.
  • Wingspan Range: 51 cm (20 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Forked Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Solid
  • Upper Tail: White
  • Under Tail: White
  • Leg Color: Orange-yellow
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Family Tern (Laridae)_blue
Species Sterna antillarum
Length8 - 9 Inches
Wingspan20 Inches

Least Tern

Least Tern: Small tern, slate-gray upperparts, white underparts. Crown, nape are black and forehead is white. Black leading edge of outer wing conspicuous in flight. Tail is forked. Bill and feet are yellow. Fast smooth flight with rapid wing beats. Hovers briefly before dipping down to sieze prey.

● Song: "kip-kip-kip", "zreep"

● Foraging & Feeding: Least Tern: Feeds on small fish; forages by skimming the water surface or diving from the air.

● Breeding & nesting: Least Tern: One to three buff to pale green eggs marked with black, gray or brown are laid in a scrape in sand, shells, or gravel and lined with small shells or other debris. Incubation ranges from 20 to 25 days and is carried out by both parents.

● Similar species: Least Tern: Black Tern has dark gray upperparts and tail and is entirely black below.

Flight Pattern

Bouyant graceful fast flight with rapid wing beats.
Least Tern Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Least Tern: Breeds along California coast, along rivers in Mississippi Valley, and coastally from Maine south to Florida and the Gulf coast. Spends winters from Baja California south to southern Mexico; also along coasts of South America. Preferred habitats include broad, level expanses of open sandy or gravelly beach, dredge spoil and other open shoreline areas, and more rarely, inland on broad river valley sandbars.
BreedingMonogamous, Colonial
PopulationFairly common, but local
MigrationMigratory
Weight1.5 Ounces