Wildlifeof China
Little Tern
Gulls, Terns & Skuas
Photo: Dûrzan cîrano · CC BY-SA 3.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Sternula albifrons
Also known as: Sterna albifrons
China Red List: Least Concern (LC)
Basic stats
Habitat
Breeds in colonies on gravel or shingle on coasts and inland waterways
Range
Coasts and inland waterways of Europe, Asia, north and west Africa and eastern Australia; winters in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia
Clutch size
2–4 eggs on the ground
Size
21–25cm
Wingspan
41–47cm
The little tern is a small tern, 21–25cm long with a 41–47cm wingspan. With its small size and white forehead in breeding plumage it is unlikely to be confused with other species apart from the fairy tern and Saunders's tern. The thin, sharp bill is yellow with a black tip, and the legs are yellow (Wikipedia, general species account).
It breeds widely on the coasts and inland waterways of temperate and tropical Europe, Asia, north and west Africa and eastern Australia, in colonies on gravel or shingle, laying two to four eggs on the ground. It winters in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Little Tern live in?
- Breeds in colonies on gravel or shingle on coasts and inland waterways
- Where is the Little Tern found?
- Coasts and inland waterways of Europe, Asia, north and west Africa and eastern Australia; winters in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia
- How many eggs does the Little Tern lay?
- 2–4 eggs on the ground
- How big is the Little Tern?
- 21–25cm
- What is the wingspan of the Little Tern?
- 41–47cm