adult

adult adult in flight European distribution adults at rest

Identification

The Little Tern can be identified by its small size, ridiculously short tail and almost frantic, jerky wing action. The neat white forehead and black-tipped yellow bill are diagnostic. The outer couple of primaries are conspicuously blacker than in other terns.

Habitat

Breeds on sandy or shingle beaches.

Behaviour

Feeds by hovering frantically then diving head first into the water for fish.

Migration

The European birds winter mostly along the west African coast between Guinea and Cameroon, but some also travel to South Africa, the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Little Tern is classed as Local: generally fairly regular or common species that a 'county lister' or a birding beginner might be interested in going to see. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Quinta do Lago, Algarve, Portugal 09/07/2010	Farne Is., Northumbs 18/07/2010	Rye Hbr, E Sussex 19/07/2010	Rye Hbr, E Sussex 19/07/2010	Rye Hbr, E Sussex 16/07/2010
undisc. site, Suffolk 16/07/2010	undisc. site, Lothian 09/07/2010	undisc. site, Suffolk 09/07/2010	Crimdon, Durham 10/07/2010	undisc. site, Suffolk 11/07/2010

 View all pictures of Little Tern

Little Tern breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Albania
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Britain
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Macedonia
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Turkey
Ukraine

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