Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
In breeding plumage this small tern is recognised by its yellow, black-tipped bill and the white forehead beneath its black cap. During courtship the male presents the female with a fish as a nuptial gift.
- Group
- Waders & Waterbirds
- Photos
- 1
- Taken
- 2026
Profile: Little Tern
- Family
- Gulls and terns (Laridae)
- Size
- approx. 21–25 cm
- Wingspan
- approx. 41–47 cm
- Weight
- approx. 45–63 g
- Habitat
- Sparsely vegetated sand, shingle and shell-grit areas, beach ridges and young dunes on coasts; less often flat islands and gravel bars inland.
- Diet
- Mainly small fish, plus crustaceans and insects; fish are caught by plunge-diving after sustained hovering over the water.
- When to see
- Long-distance migrant. In Central Europe roughly from April to September; winters mainly in tropical West Africa, some as far as South Africa.
Learn more: Wikipedia · NABU (German)