Photo: NaturesFan1226 / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Forster’s Tern

Sterna forsteri

Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of the United Kingdom Birds of the United States Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Ontario

By family

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Canada Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United Kingdom Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of the United States Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Alberta Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of British Columbia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Manitoba Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of New Brunswick Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Newfoundland and Labrador Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Nova Scotia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Ontario

See what's near you right now

The Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) is a member of the Laridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 149 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Genus Sterna
Species forsteri

Where it lives

Inland central Alberta to central Manitoba (south-central Canada) patchily to California and northern Baja California (northwestern Mexico), Colorado, and the Great Lakes; coastal western North Atlantic from New Jersey to North Carolina; Gulf of Mexico coast from Alabama to northern Tamaulipas (northeastern Mexico)

Quick facts

Weight: 149 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Laridae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Snowy-crowned Tern

Sterna trudeaui

Near Threatened

Inca Tern

Larosterna inca

Least Concern

Brown Noddy

Anous stolidus

Least Concern

Common Tern

Sterna hirundo

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Forster’s Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of wetlands, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.

Migration

The Forster’s Tern is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

The Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) is a species of gulls, terns, skimmers in the family Laridae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in North America, Central America & Caribbean — inland c Alberta to c Manitoba (sc Canada) patchily to California and n Baja California (nw Mexico), Colorado, and the Great Lakes; coastal w North Atlantic from New Jersey to North Carolina; Gulf of Mexico coast from Alabama to n Tamaulipas (ne Mexico).

Songs & calls

Forster’s Tern — Call

Recorded by David Darrell-Lambert Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Forster’s Tern?

The Forster’s Tern is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 149 g.

Where does the Forster’s Tern live?

The Forster’s Tern is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA inland c Alberta to c Manitoba (sc Canada) patchily to California and n Baja California (nw Mexico), Colorado, and the Great Lakes; coastal w North Atlantic from New Jersey to North Carolina; Gulf of Mexico coast from Alabama to n Tamaulipas (ne Mexico), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Forster’s Tern belong to?

The Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Forster’s Tern eat?

The Forster’s Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Forster’s Tern migrate?

The Forster’s Tern is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.

Is the Forster’s Tern endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Forster’s Tern make?

1 real field recording of the Forster’s Tern — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Forster’s Tern's range?

The Forster’s Tern has a mapped global range of about 1.8 million km².