31:
573:
558:
543:
528:
588:
84:
206:
59:
459:
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
446:
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
503:
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
455:
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.
442:
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.
438:
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.
1056:
843:
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.
508:
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
572:
742:
1551:
557:
447:
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.
542:
1416:
1108:
1160:
1516:
1561:
527:
1403:
1082:
743:"A phylogenetic framework for the terns (Sternini) inferred from mtDNA sequences: implications for taxonomy and plumage evolution"
1429:
1121:
1196:
801:
1434:
1126:
791:
1351:
587:
30:
1546:
848:
1556:
1475:
1382:
1235:
1165:
773:
1395:
1364:
1531:
1536:
1493:
1147:
1030:
1294:
946:
399:
in eastern Asia (SE Russia to Japan, SE Asia, Philippines) south to New Guinea and northern
Australia, and
897:
1541:
1012:
1007:
968:
642:
1526:
1480:
1454:
1240:
1175:
986:
874:
83:
472:
ceased. Nowadays, only a few river systems in Europe possess suitable habitats; the Loire/Allier in
1227:
1421:
1113:
994:
908:
615:
1139:
500:
and
Croatia. The status of the little tern on the rivers Tagus and lower Danube is uncertain.
178:
1467:
1214:
999:
955:
973:
8:
960:
892:
619:
505:
385:
48:
217:(Compiled by: BirdLife International and Handbook of the Birds of the World (2019) 2019)
1312:
428:
297:
246:
195:
78:
710:"Birds in the sales catalogue of Adriaan Vroeg (1764) described by Pallas and Vosmaer"
1521:
1462:
1325:
1209:
1043:
844:
797:
765:
709:
1253:
1061:
1035:
863:
668:
1444:
1330:
1048:
757:
721:
685:
637:
594:
1317:
1022:
1369:
1183:
931:
664:
135:
1152:
818:
761:
1390:
1377:
869:
673:. Vol. 2. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 340.
366:
726:
1510:
1134:
628:
404:
301:
68:
63:
1356:
1280:
769:
370:
881:
1222:
1095:
940:
1304:
205:
1408:
1248:
1087:
420:
381:
1188:
1100:
510:
Agreement on the
Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds
1338:
489:
374:
362:
95:
1074:
902:
349:
breeds on the coasts and inland waterways of temperate and tropical
1343:
1274:
925:
369:, wintering in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as
309:
259:
155:
115:
1488:
981:
497:
493:
412:
293:
289:
145:
1201:
1289:
886:
485:
477:
473:
461:
358:
350:
315:
105:
1069:
481:
469:
332:
817:
Gill, F.; Donsker, D.; Rasmussen, P., eds. (January 2024).
513:
465:
354:
346:
319:
was restricted to the larger typical terns. The genus name
125:
403:
on the east coast of
Australia and Tasmania. The former
614:
686:"The new species of birds in Vroeg's catalogue, 1764"
816:
870:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
391:occurs in Europe to North Africa and western Asia,
741:Bridge, E. S.; Jones, A. W.; Baker, A. J. (2005).
643:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22694656A155476219.en
296:. It was first described by the German naturalist
707:
450:
1508:
740:
419:are now considered to be separate species, the
819:"Noddies, skimmers, gulls, terns, skuas, auks"
796:. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 38, 365.
793:The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names
708:Rookmaaker, L.C.; Pieters, F.F.J.M. (2000).
42:in breeding plumage, Lyubikovichi, Ukraine
670:Check-list of Birds of the World. Volume 2
551:, Boat Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
204:
57:
29:
725:
641:
1552:Nature Conservation Act endangered biota
683:
566:in winter plumage, Kannur, Kerala, India
789:
698:Includes a transcript of the 1764 text.
581:, recently hatched chick, Hampshire, UK
1509:
810:
663:
907:
906:
750:Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
734:
690:Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections
1494:96685486-8A3D-4133-A298-CAF811FF8448
1455:aad27bab-d813-4da7-8167-6a743c91c230
1396:93f6a17a-4377-4154-8886-06e8fb218e0d
1176:c0b2ede9-ec50-448a-9d22-17ebcb50cbec
1517:IUCN Red List least concern species
629:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
608:
13:
857:
783:
327:, 'tern', while the specific name
14:
1573:
1562:Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas
586:
571:
556:
541:
526:
82:
882:Field Guide: Birds of the World
837:
701:
677:
657:
451:Populations on European rivers
1:
601:
684:Sherborn, C. Davies (1905).
307:. It was moved to the genus
7:
762:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.12.010
536:in flight, Tokyo Bay, Japan
10:
1578:
864:BTO Little tern fact sheet
519:
1264:
915:
790:Jobling, James A (2010).
727:10.1163/18759866-06904005
636:: e.T22694656A155476219.
252:
245:
212:
203:
184:
177:
79:Scientific classification
77:
55:
46:
37:
28:
23:
1547:Birds of Southern Africa
714:Contributions to Zoology
1557:Birds described in 1764
616:BirdLife International
476:, the Vistula/Odra in
300:in 1764 and given the
1532:Birds of North Africa
893:BBC Norfolk news item
1537:Birds of West Africa
1391:Fauna Europaea (new)
823:IOC World Bird List
480:, the Po/Ticino in
425:Sternula antillarum
395:of western Africa,
323:is a diminutive of
269:Linnaeus, 1766
49:Conservation status
1542:Birds of Australia
1313:BirdLife-Australia
1254:Sternula-albifrons
1062:sternula-albifrons
974:Sternula_albifrons
947:Sternula albifrons
917:Sternula albifrons
622:Sternula albifrons
433:Sternula saundersi
298:Peter Simon Pallas
285:Sternula albifrons
240: Non-breeding
188:Sternula albifrons
1504:
1503:
1463:Open Tree of Life
1210:Open Tree of Life
909:Taxon identifiers
803:978-1-4081-2501-4
665:Peters, James Lee
496:and the Drava in
488:, the Nemunas in
484:, the Daugava in
435:), respectively.
365:. It is strongly
357:, north and west
276:
275:
170:S. albifrons
72:
1569:
1527:Birds of Eurasia
1497:
1496:
1484:
1483:
1471:
1470:
1458:
1457:
1448:
1447:
1438:
1437:
1425:
1424:
1412:
1411:
1399:
1398:
1386:
1385:
1373:
1372:
1360:
1359:
1347:
1346:
1334:
1333:
1321:
1320:
1308:
1307:
1298:
1297:
1295:sterna-albifrons
1285:
1284:
1283:
1266:Sterna albifrons
1257:
1256:
1244:
1243:
1231:
1230:
1218:
1217:
1205:
1204:
1192:
1191:
1179:
1178:
1169:
1168:
1156:
1155:
1153:NHMSYS0001688285
1143:
1142:
1130:
1129:
1117:
1116:
1104:
1103:
1091:
1090:
1078:
1077:
1065:
1064:
1052:
1051:
1039:
1038:
1026:
1025:
1016:
1015:
1003:
1002:
990:
989:
987:17310BF0FE9BAC8A
977:
976:
964:
963:
961:Sterna_albifrons
951:
950:
949:
936:
935:
934:
904:
903:
876:Sterna albifrons
851:
841:
835:
834:
832:
830:
814:
808:
807:
787:
781:
780:
779:on 20 July 2006.
778:
772:. Archived from
747:
738:
732:
731:
729:
705:
699:
697:
681:
675:
674:
661:
655:
654:
652:
650:
645:
612:
595:Museum Wiesbaden
593:Egg, Collection
590:
575:
560:
545:
530:
409:S. a. antillarum
305:Sterna albifrons
270:
256:Sterna albifrons
239:
233:
227:
221:
208:
190:
87:
86:
66:
61:
60:
33:
21:
20:
1577:
1576:
1572:
1571:
1570:
1568:
1567:
1566:
1507:
1506:
1505:
1500:
1492:
1487:
1479:
1474:
1466:
1461:
1453:
1451:
1443:
1441:
1433:
1428:
1420:
1415:
1407:
1402:
1394:
1389:
1381:
1376:
1368:
1363:
1355:
1350:
1342:
1337:
1329:
1324:
1316:
1311:
1303:
1301:
1293:
1288:
1279:
1278:
1273:
1260:
1252:
1247:
1239:
1234:
1226:
1221:
1213:
1208:
1200:
1195:
1187:
1184:Observation.org
1182:
1174:
1172:
1164:
1159:
1151:
1146:
1138:
1133:
1125:
1120:
1112:
1107:
1099:
1094:
1086:
1081:
1073:
1068:
1060:
1055:
1047:
1042:
1034:
1029:
1021:
1019:
1011:
1006:
998:
993:
985:
980:
972:
967:
959:
954:
945:
944:
939:
930:
929:
924:
911:
860:
858:Further reading
855:
854:
842:
838:
828:
826:
815:
811:
804:
788:
784:
776:
745:
739:
735:
706:
702:
682:
678:
662:
658:
648:
646:
613:
609:
604:
597:
591:
582:
579:S. a. albifrons
576:
567:
564:S. a. albifrons
561:
552:
546:
537:
531:
522:
453:
429:Saunders's tern
417:S. a. saundersi
389:S. a. albifrons
380:There are four
338:, 'white', and
313:when the genus
268:
241:
237:
235:
231:
229:
225:
223:
219:
199:
192:
186:
173:
136:Charadriiformes
81:
73:
62:
58:
51:
40:S. a. albifrons
17:
16:Species of bird
12:
11:
5:
1575:
1565:
1564:
1559:
1554:
1549:
1544:
1539:
1534:
1529:
1524:
1519:
1502:
1501:
1499:
1498:
1485:
1472:
1459:
1449:
1439:
1426:
1413:
1400:
1387:
1378:Fauna Europaea
1374:
1361:
1348:
1335:
1322:
1309:
1299:
1286:
1270:
1268:
1262:
1261:
1259:
1258:
1245:
1232:
1219:
1206:
1193:
1180:
1170:
1157:
1144:
1131:
1118:
1105:
1092:
1079:
1066:
1053:
1040:
1027:
1017:
1004:
991:
978:
965:
952:
937:
921:
919:
913:
912:
901:
900:
895:
890:
872:
868:Little tern -
866:
859:
856:
853:
852:
836:
809:
802:
782:
756:(2): 459–469.
733:
720:(4): 271–277.
700:
676:
656:
606:
605:
603:
600:
599:
598:
592:
585:
583:
577:
570:
568:
562:
555:
553:
547:
540:
538:
534:S. a. sinensis
532:
525:
521:
518:
492:, the Sava in
452:
449:
405:North American
397:S. a. sinensis
361:, and eastern
342:, 'forehead'.
292:of the family
274:
273:
272:
271:
263:
250:
249:
243:
242:
236:
230:
228: Resident
224:
222: Breeding
218:
210:
209:
201:
200:
193:
182:
181:
175:
174:
167:
165:
161:
160:
153:
149:
148:
143:
139:
138:
133:
129:
128:
123:
119:
118:
113:
109:
108:
103:
99:
98:
93:
89:
88:
75:
74:
56:
53:
52:
47:
44:
43:
35:
34:
26:
25:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1574:
1563:
1560:
1558:
1555:
1553:
1550:
1548:
1545:
1543:
1540:
1538:
1535:
1533:
1530:
1528:
1525:
1523:
1520:
1518:
1515:
1514:
1512:
1495:
1490:
1486:
1482:
1477:
1473:
1469:
1464:
1460:
1456:
1450:
1446:
1440:
1436:
1431:
1427:
1423:
1418:
1414:
1410:
1405:
1401:
1397:
1392:
1388:
1384:
1379:
1375:
1371:
1366:
1362:
1358:
1353:
1349:
1345:
1340:
1336:
1332:
1327:
1323:
1319:
1314:
1310:
1306:
1300:
1296:
1291:
1287:
1282:
1276:
1272:
1271:
1269:
1267:
1263:
1255:
1250:
1246:
1242:
1237:
1233:
1229:
1224:
1220:
1216:
1211:
1207:
1203:
1198:
1194:
1190:
1185:
1181:
1177:
1171:
1167:
1162:
1158:
1154:
1149:
1145:
1141:
1136:
1132:
1128:
1123:
1119:
1115:
1110:
1106:
1102:
1097:
1093:
1089:
1084:
1080:
1076:
1071:
1067:
1063:
1058:
1054:
1050:
1045:
1041:
1037:
1032:
1028:
1024:
1018:
1014:
1009:
1005:
1001:
996:
992:
988:
983:
979:
975:
970:
966:
962:
957:
953:
948:
942:
938:
933:
927:
923:
922:
920:
918:
914:
910:
905:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:(photographs)
888:
884:
883:
878:
877:
873:
871:
867:
865:
862:
861:
850:
849:0-19-553070-5
846:
840:
824:
820:
813:
805:
799:
795:
794:
786:
775:
771:
767:
763:
759:
755:
751:
744:
737:
728:
723:
719:
715:
711:
704:
695:
691:
687:
680:
672:
671:
666:
660:
644:
639:
635:
631:
630:
625:
623:
617:
611:
607:
596:
589:
584:
580:
574:
569:
565:
559:
554:
550:
549:S. a. placens
544:
539:
535:
529:
524:
523:
517:
515:
511:
507:
501:
499:
495:
491:
487:
483:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
457:
448:
444:
440:
436:
434:
430:
426:
422:
418:
414:
410:
406:
402:
401:S. a. placens
398:
394:
393:S. a. guineae
390:
387:
383:
378:
376:
372:
368:
364:
360:
356:
352:
348:
343:
341:
337:
334:
330:
326:
322:
318:
317:
312:
311:
306:
303:
302:binomial name
299:
295:
291:
287:
286:
281:
267:
266:Sterna minuta
264:
261:
257:
254:
253:
251:
248:
244:
234: Passage
216:
211:
207:
202:
197:
191:
189:
183:
180:
179:Binomial name
176:
172:
171:
166:
163:
162:
159:
158:
154:
151:
150:
147:
144:
141:
140:
137:
134:
131:
130:
127:
124:
121:
120:
117:
114:
111:
110:
107:
104:
101:
100:
97:
94:
91:
90:
85:
80:
76:
70:
65:
64:Least Concern
54:
50:
45:
41:
36:
32:
27:
22:
19:
1265:
916:
880:
875:
839:
827:. Retrieved
822:
812:
792:
785:
774:the original
753:
749:
736:
717:
713:
703:
693:
689:
679:
669:
659:
647:. Retrieved
633:
627:
621:
610:
578:
563:
548:
533:
509:
502:
458:
454:
445:
441:
437:
432:
424:
416:
408:
407:subspecies (
400:
396:
392:
388:
379:
371:South Africa
344:
339:
335:
328:
324:
320:
314:
308:
304:
284:
283:
279:
277:
265:
255:
215:S. albifrons
214:
187:
185:
169:
168:
156:
39:
24:Little tern
18:
1445:little-tern
1318:little-tern
1223:SeaLifeBase
1096:iNaturalist
941:Wikispecies
898:Little tern
696:: 332–341 .
649:1 September
516:) applies.
415:subspecies
280:little tern
1511:Categories
1249:Xeno-canto
602:References
421:least tern
382:subspecies
932:Q12267692
618:(2019) .
490:Lithuania
375:Australia
367:migratory
363:Australia
329:albifrons
213:Range of
164:Species:
102:Kingdom:
96:Eukaryota
1522:Sternula
1422:11305053
1302:BioLib:
1275:Wikidata
1140:22694656
1114:11735192
1000:22694656
995:BirdLife
926:Wikidata
825:. v 14.1
770:15804415
667:(1934).
386:nominate
331:is from
321:Sternula
310:Sternula
260:protonym
247:Synonyms
157:Sternula
142:Family:
116:Chordata
112:Phylum:
106:Animalia
92:Domain:
69:IUCN 3.1
1489:ZooBank
1409:5229215
1088:5789279
1075:litter1
1036:bob6240
1023:litter1
982:Avibase
829:26 June
520:Gallery
498:Hungary
494:Croatia
413:Red Sea
294:Laridae
290:seabird
288:) is a
198:, 1764)
152:Genus:
146:Laridae
132:Order:
122:Class:
67: (
1481:137157
1468:293653
1452:NZOR:
1442:NZBO:
1435:176899
1365:EURING
1344:STNAAL
1290:ARKive
1281:Q26092
1241:567480
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