Birds · Charadriiformes · Laridae
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The little tern is the smallest tern in Europe, with a white forehead, a black mask and a yellow bill with a black tip. It breeds in colonies on sand and shingle beaches, saltpans and river banks, laying its eggs in a simple scrape. That habitat coincides with the busiest beaches, which makes it very vulnerable to disturbance in summer. In Spain it breeds in the Ebro Delta, the southern saltpans and along the Mediterranean coast.
Weight
45 g – 65 g
Size
21 cm – 25 cm
Life expectancy
21 years
