42:
584:
569:
554:
539:
599:
95:
217:
70:
470:
The loss of inland populations has been even more severe, since due to dams, river regulation and sediment extraction it has lost most of its former habitats. The little tern population has declined or become extinct in many
European countries, and former breeding places on large rivers like the
457:
This is a small tern, 21–25 cm long with a 41–47 cm wingspan. It is not likely to be confused with other species, apart from fairy tern and
Saunders's tern, because of its size and white forehead in breeding plumage. Its thin sharp bill is yellow with a black tip and its legs are also
514:
The Drava population is one of the most threatened. Old-fashioned water management practices, including river regulation and sediment extraction, endanger the remaining pairs. Only 15 pairs still breed on extensive sand or gravel banks along the border between
Hungary and Croatia. The
466:
At the beginning of the 19th century the little tern was a common bird of
European shores, rivers and wetlands, but in the 20th century populations of coastal areas decreased because of habitat loss, pollution and human disturbance.
453:
Like most other white terns, the little tern feeds by plunge-diving for fish, either in coastal saline environments, or inland, along larger rivers. The offering of fish by the male to the female is part of the courtship display.
1067:
449:
The little tern breeds in colonies on gravel or shingle coasts and islands. It lays two to four eggs on the ground. Like all white terns, it is defensive of its nest and young and will attack intruders.
583:
1562:
854:
Higgins, P.J. & S.J.J.F. Davies (eds) 1996. Handbook of
Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 3: Snipe to Pigeons. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
568:
553:
519:
and its partners are involved in working for the protection of this bird and this unique
European river ecosystem. The little tern is one of the species to which the
1427:
1119:
1171:
753:
1527:
1572:
538:
458:
yellow. In winter, the forehead is more extensively white, the bill is black and the legs duller. The call is a loud and distinctive creaking noise.
1414:
1093:
41:
1440:
1132:
1207:
812:
1362:
598:
1557:
859:
754:"A phylogenetic framework for the terns (Sternini) inferred from mtDNA sequences: implications for taxonomy and plumage evolution"
1567:
1486:
1246:
1375:
1542:
1445:
1137:
802:
1547:
1158:
1041:
1552:
1018:
979:
1393:
1176:
784:
1537:
1406:
94:
1504:
1305:
957:
410:
in eastern Asia (SE Russia to Japan, SE Asia, Philippines) south to New Guinea and northern
Australia, and
1005:
919:
908:
626:
1023:
189:
653:
1491:
1465:
1251:
1186:
997:
966:
885:
483:
ceased. Nowadays, only a few river systems in Europe possess suitable habitats; the Loire/Allier in
516:
396:
59:
1323:
1238:
308:
257:
206:
89:
439:
1432:
1124:
1532:
1473:
1336:
1220:
1150:
1054:
855:
808:
776:
511:
and
Croatia. The status of the little tern on the rivers Tagus and lower Danube is uncertain.
1478:
1225:
768:
732:
648:
605:
1010:
1194:
984:
675:
146:
971:
903:
630:
228:(Compiled by: BirdLife International and Handbook of the Birds of the World (2019) 2019)
1401:
1388:
377:
721:"Birds in the sales catalogue of Adriaan Vroeg (1764) described by Pallas and Vosmaer"
216:
1521:
1145:
720:
639:
415:
312:
79:
74:
1264:
1072:
1046:
874:
679:
1455:
1341:
1059:
696:
381:
1328:
1033:
1380:
942:
1233:
1163:
1106:
951:
829:
772:
17:
880:
684:. Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 340.
1259:
737:
431:
392:
1349:
500:
385:
373:
106:
1367:
1291:
780:
892:
1285:
936:
320:
270:
166:
126:
1315:
1499:
1419:
1098:
992:
508:
504:
423:
304:
300:
156:
1199:
1111:
521:
Agreement on the
Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds
1300:
897:
496:
488:
484:
472:
369:
361:
326:
116:
1085:
913:
360:
breeds on the coasts and inland waterways of temperate and tropical
1354:
380:, wintering in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as
1080:
492:
480:
343:
1212:
524:
476:
365:
357:
136:
917:
828:
Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (January 2024).
330:
was restricted to the larger typical terns. The genus name
414:
on the east coast of
Australia and Tasmania. The former
697:"The new species of birds in Vroeg's catalogue, 1764"
1275:
926:
881:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
402:occurs in Europe to North Africa and western Asia,
752:Bridge, E. S.; Jones, A. W.; Baker, A. J. (2005).
654:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22694656A155476219.en
307:. It was first described by the German naturalist
430:are now considered to be separate species, the
830:"Noddies, skimmers, gulls, terns, skuas, auks"
807:. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 38, 365.
8:
804:The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names
719:Rookmaaker, L.C.; Pieters, F.F.J.M. (2000).
53:in breeding plumage, Lyubikovichi, Ukraine
914:
681:Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 2
562:, Boat Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
215:
68:
40:
31:
736:
652:
1563:Nature Conservation Act endangered biota
577:in winter plumage, Kannur, Kerala, India
709:Includes a transcript of the 1764 text.
618:
592:, recently hatched chick, Hampshire, UK
534:
761:Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
701:Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections
7:
1505:96685486-8A3D-4133-A298-CAF811FF8448
1466:aad27bab-d813-4da7-8167-6a743c91c230
1407:93f6a17a-4377-4154-8886-06e8fb218e0d
1187:c0b2ede9-ec50-448a-9d22-17ebcb50cbec
1528:IUCN Red List least concern species
640:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
338:, 'tern', while the specific name
25:
1573:Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas
597:
582:
567:
552:
537:
93:
893:Field Guide: Birds of the World
462:Populations on European rivers
1:
695:Sherborn, C. Davies (1905).
318:. It was moved to the genus
773:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.12.010
547:in flight, Tokyo Bay, Japan
1589:
875:BTO Little tern fact sheet
801:Jobling, James A (2010).
738:10.1163/18759866-06904005
647:: e.T22694656A155476219.
263:
256:
223:
214:
195:
188:
90:Scientific classification
88:
66:
57:
48:
39:
34:
1558:Birds of Southern Africa
725:Contributions to Zoology
1568:Birds described in 1764
627:BirdLife International
487:, the Vistula/Odra in
311:in 1764 and given the
1543:Birds of North Africa
904:BBC Norfolk news item
1548:Birds of West Africa
1402:Fauna Europaea (new)
834:IOC World Bird List
491:, the Po/Ticino in
436:Sternula antillarum
406:of western Africa,
334:is a diminutive of
280:Linnaeus, 1766
60:Conservation status
1553:Birds of Australia
1324:BirdLife-Australia
1265:Sternula-albifrons
1073:sternula-albifrons
985:Sternula_albifrons
958:Sternula albifrons
928:Sternula albifrons
633:Sternula albifrons
444:Sternula saundersi
309:Peter Simon Pallas
296:Sternula albifrons
251: Non-breeding
199:Sternula albifrons
1515:
1514:
1474:Open Tree of Life
1221:Open Tree of Life
920:Taxon identifiers
814:978-1-4081-2501-4
676:Peters, James Lee
507:and the Drava in
499:, the Nemunas in
495:, the Daugava in
446:), respectively.
376:. It is strongly
368:, north and west
287:
286:
181:S. albifrons
83:
16:(Redirected from
1580:
1538:Birds of Eurasia
1508:
1507:
1495:
1494:
1482:
1481:
1469:
1468:
1459:
1458:
1449:
1448:
1436:
1435:
1423:
1422:
1410:
1409:
1397:
1396:
1384:
1383:
1371:
1370:
1358:
1357:
1345:
1344:
1332:
1331:
1319:
1318:
1309:
1308:
1306:sterna-albifrons
1296:
1295:
1294:
1277:Sterna albifrons
1268:
1267:
1255:
1254:
1242:
1241:
1229:
1228:
1216:
1215:
1203:
1202:
1190:
1189:
1180:
1179:
1167:
1166:
1164:NHMSYS0001688285
1154:
1153:
1141:
1140:
1128:
1127:
1115:
1114:
1102:
1101:
1089:
1088:
1076:
1075:
1063:
1062:
1050:
1049:
1037:
1036:
1027:
1026:
1014:
1013:
1001:
1000:
998:17310BF0FE9BAC8A
988:
987:
975:
974:
972:Sterna_albifrons
962:
961:
960:
947:
946:
945:
915:
887:Sterna albifrons
862:
852:
846:
845:
843:
841:
825:
819:
818:
798:
792:
791:
790:on 20 July 2006.
789:
783:. Archived from
758:
749:
743:
742:
740:
716:
710:
708:
692:
686:
685:
672:
666:
665:
663:
661:
656:
623:
606:Museum Wiesbaden
604:Egg, Collection
601:
586:
571:
556:
541:
420:S. a. antillarum
316:Sterna albifrons
281:
267:Sterna albifrons
250:
244:
238:
232:
219:
201:
98:
97:
77:
72:
71:
44:
32:
21:
18:Sterna albifrons
1588:
1587:
1583:
1582:
1581:
1579:
1578:
1577:
1518:
1517:
1516:
1511:
1503:
1498:
1490:
1485:
1477:
1472:
1464:
1462:
1454:
1452:
1444:
1439:
1431:
1426:
1418:
1413:
1405:
1400:
1392:
1387:
1379:
1374:
1366:
1361:
1353:
1348:
1340:
1335:
1327:
1322:
1314:
1312:
1304:
1299:
1290:
1289:
1284:
1271:
1263:
1258:
1250:
1245:
1237:
1232:
1224:
1219:
1211:
1206:
1198:
1195:Observation.org
1193:
1185:
1183:
1175:
1170:
1162:
1157:
1149:
1144:
1136:
1131:
1123:
1118:
1110:
1105:
1097:
1092:
1084:
1079:
1071:
1066:
1058:
1053:
1045:
1040:
1032:
1030:
1022:
1017:
1009:
1004:
996:
991:
983:
978:
970:
965:
956:
955:
950:
941:
940:
935:
922:
871:
869:Further reading
866:
865:
853:
849:
839:
837:
827:
826:
822:
815:
800:
799:
795:
787:
756:
751:
750:
746:
718:
717:
713:
694:
693:
689:
674:
673:
669:
659:
657:
625:
624:
620:
615:
608:
602:
593:
590:S. a. albifrons
587:
578:
575:S. a. albifrons
572:
563:
557:
548:
542:
533:
464:
440:Saunders's tern
428:S. a. saundersi
400:S. a. albifrons
391:There are four
349:, 'white', and
324:when the genus
279:
252:
248:
246:
242:
240:
236:
234:
230:
210:
203:
197:
184:
147:Charadriiformes
92:
84:
73:
69:
62:
51:S. a. albifrons
28:
27:Species of bird
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1586:
1584:
1576:
1575:
1570:
1565:
1560:
1555:
1550:
1545:
1540:
1535:
1530:
1520:
1519:
1513:
1512:
1510:
1509:
1496:
1483:
1470:
1460:
1450:
1437:
1424:
1411:
1398:
1389:Fauna Europaea
1385:
1372:
1359:
1346:
1333:
1320:
1310:
1297:
1281:
1279:
1273:
1272:
1270:
1269:
1256:
1243:
1230:
1217:
1204:
1191:
1181:
1168:
1155:
1142:
1129:
1116:
1103:
1090:
1077:
1064:
1051:
1038:
1028:
1015:
1002:
989:
976:
963:
948:
932:
930:
924:
923:
918:
912:
911:
906:
901:
883:
879:Little tern -
877:
870:
867:
864:
863:
847:
820:
813:
793:
767:(2): 459–469.
744:
731:(4): 271–277.
711:
687:
667:
617:
616:
614:
611:
610:
609:
603:
596:
594:
588:
581:
579:
573:
566:
564:
558:
551:
549:
545:S. a. sinensis
543:
536:
532:
529:
503:, the Sava in
463:
460:
416:North American
408:S. a. sinensis
372:, and eastern
353:, 'forehead'.
303:of the family
285:
284:
283:
282:
274:
261:
260:
254:
253:
247:
241:
239: Resident
235:
233: Breeding
229:
221:
220:
212:
211:
204:
193:
192:
186:
185:
178:
176:
172:
171:
164:
160:
159:
154:
150:
149:
144:
140:
139:
134:
130:
129:
124:
120:
119:
114:
110:
109:
104:
100:
99:
86:
85:
67:
64:
63:
58:
55:
54:
46:
45:
37:
36:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1585:
1574:
1571:
1569:
1566:
1564:
1561:
1559:
1556:
1554:
1551:
1549:
1546:
1544:
1541:
1539:
1536:
1534:
1531:
1529:
1526:
1525:
1523:
1506:
1501:
1497:
1493:
1488:
1484:
1480:
1475:
1471:
1467:
1461:
1457:
1451:
1447:
1442:
1438:
1434:
1429:
1425:
1421:
1416:
1412:
1408:
1403:
1399:
1395:
1390:
1386:
1382:
1377:
1373:
1369:
1364:
1360:
1356:
1351:
1347:
1343:
1338:
1334:
1330:
1325:
1321:
1317:
1311:
1307:
1302:
1298:
1293:
1287:
1283:
1282:
1280:
1278:
1274:
1266:
1261:
1257:
1253:
1248:
1244:
1240:
1235:
1231:
1227:
1222:
1218:
1214:
1209:
1205:
1201:
1196:
1192:
1188:
1182:
1178:
1173:
1169:
1165:
1160:
1156:
1152:
1147:
1143:
1139:
1134:
1130:
1126:
1121:
1117:
1113:
1108:
1104:
1100:
1095:
1091:
1087:
1082:
1078:
1074:
1069:
1065:
1061:
1056:
1052:
1048:
1043:
1039:
1035:
1029:
1025:
1020:
1016:
1012:
1007:
1003:
999:
994:
990:
986:
981:
977:
973:
968:
964:
959:
953:
949:
944:
938:
934:
933:
931:
929:
925:
921:
916:
910:
907:
905:
902:
900:(photographs)
899:
895:
894:
889:
888:
884:
882:
878:
876:
873:
872:
868:
861:
860:0-19-553070-5
857:
851:
848:
835:
831:
824:
821:
816:
810:
806:
805:
797:
794:
786:
782:
778:
774:
770:
766:
762:
755:
748:
745:
739:
734:
730:
726:
722:
715:
712:
706:
702:
698:
691:
688:
683:
682:
677:
671:
668:
655:
650:
646:
642:
641:
636:
634:
628:
622:
619:
612:
607:
600:
595:
591:
585:
580:
576:
570:
565:
561:
560:S. a. placens
555:
550:
546:
540:
535:
530:
528:
526:
522:
518:
512:
510:
506:
502:
498:
494:
490:
486:
482:
478:
474:
468:
461:
459:
455:
451:
447:
445:
441:
437:
433:
429:
425:
421:
417:
413:
412:S. a. placens
409:
405:
404:S. a. guineae
401:
398:
394:
389:
387:
383:
379:
375:
371:
367:
363:
359:
354:
352:
348:
345:
341:
337:
333:
329:
328:
323:
322:
317:
314:
313:binomial name
310:
306:
302:
298:
297:
292:
278:
277:Sterna minuta
275:
272:
268:
265:
264:
262:
259:
255:
245: Passage
227:
222:
218:
213:
208:
202:
200:
194:
191:
190:Binomial name
187:
183:
182:
177:
174:
173:
170:
169:
165:
162:
161:
158:
155:
152:
151:
148:
145:
142:
141:
138:
135:
132:
131:
128:
125:
122:
121:
118:
115:
112:
111:
108:
105:
102:
101:
96:
91:
87:
81:
76:
75:Least Concern
65:
61:
56:
52:
47:
43:
38:
33:
30:
19:
1276:
927:
891:
886:
850:
838:. Retrieved
833:
823:
803:
796:
785:the original
764:
760:
747:
728:
724:
714:
704:
700:
690:
680:
670:
658:. Retrieved
644:
638:
632:
621:
589:
574:
559:
544:
520:
513:
469:
465:
456:
452:
448:
443:
435:
427:
419:
418:subspecies (
411:
407:
403:
399:
390:
382:South Africa
355:
350:
346:
339:
335:
331:
325:
319:
315:
295:
294:
290:
288:
276:
266:
226:S. albifrons
225:
198:
196:
180:
179:
167:
50:
35:Little tern
29:
1456:little-tern
1329:little-tern
1234:SeaLifeBase
1107:iNaturalist
952:Wikispecies
909:Little tern
707:: 332–341 .
660:1 September
527:) applies.
426:subspecies
291:little tern
1522:Categories
1260:Xeno-canto
613:References
432:least tern
393:subspecies
943:Q12267692
629:(2019) .
501:Lithuania
386:Australia
378:migratory
374:Australia
340:albifrons
224:Range of
175:Species:
113:Kingdom:
107:Eukaryota
1533:Sternula
1433:11305053
1313:BioLib:
1286:Wikidata
1151:22694656
1125:11735192
1011:22694656
1006:BirdLife
937:Wikidata
836:. v 14.1
781:15804415
678:(1934).
397:nominate
342:is from
332:Sternula
321:Sternula
271:protonym
258:Synonyms
168:Sternula
153:Family:
127:Chordata
123:Phylum:
117:Animalia
103:Domain:
80:IUCN 3.1
1500:ZooBank
1420:5229215
1099:5789279
1086:litter1
1047:bob6240
1034:litter1
993:Avibase
840:26 June
531:Gallery
509:Hungary
505:Croatia
424:Red Sea
305:Laridae
301:seabird
299:) is a
209:, 1764)
163:Genus:
157:Laridae
143:Order:
133:Class:
78: (
1492:137157
1479:293653
1463:NZOR:
1453:NZBO:
1446:176899
1376:EURING
1355:STNAAL
1301:ARKive
1292:Q26092
1252:567480
1226:293653
1213:567480
1184:NZOR:
1177:507597
1138:824126
1112:144529
1024:113683
898:Flickr
858:
811:
779:
497:Latvia
489:Poland
485:France
473:Danube
438:) and
422:) and
395:. The
370:Africa
362:Europe
336:Sterna
327:Sterna
249:
243:
237:
231:
207:Pallas
49:Adult
1487:WoRMS
1428:IRMNG
1394:96961
1363:EUNIS
1342:6ZSBH
1247:WoRMS
1239:75102
1120:IRMNG
1081:eBird
1060:52G25
1031:BOW:
788:(PDF)
757:(PDF)
493:Italy
481:Rhine
356:This
351:frons
347:albus
344:Latin
1441:ITIS
1415:GBIF
1381:6240
1368:1279
1350:EPPO
1316:8712
1208:OBIS
1172:NCBI
1146:IUCN
1133:ITIS
1094:GBIF
1019:BOLD
856:ISBN
842:2024
809:ISBN
777:PMID
662:2024
645:2019
525:AEWA
479:and
477:Elbe
384:and
366:Asia
358:bird
289:The
137:Aves
1337:CoL
1159:NBN
1068:CMS
1055:CoL
1042:BTO
980:AFD
967:ADW
896:on
890:in
769:doi
733:doi
649:doi
517:WWF
1524::
1502::
1489::
1476::
1443::
1430::
1417::
1404::
1391::
1378::
1365::
1352::
1339::
1326::
1303::
1288::
1262::
1249::
1236::
1223::
1210::
1200:31
1197::
1174::
1161::
1148::
1135::
1122::
1109::
1096::
1083::
1070::
1057::
1044::
1021::
1008::
995::
982::
969::
954::
939::
832:.
775:.
765:35
763:.
759:.
729:69
727:.
723:.
705:47
703:.
699:.
643:.
637:.
475:,
388:.
364:,
844:.
817:.
771::
741:.
735::
664:.
651::
635:"
631:"
523:(
442:(
434:(
293:(
273:)
269:(
205:(
82:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
