Photo: Alan Vernon / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) is a member of the Laridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 45.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Charadriiformes
- Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
- Genus Sternula
- Species antillarum
Where it lives
Great Plains to Texas and northern Louisiana; central California and Gulf of California coasts to Oaxaca (western Mexico), El Salvador and Nicaragua; western North Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea from Bahamas to Lesser Antilles, islands off Yucatan Pen., Belize and northern Honduras, and islands north of Venezuela
Quick facts
- Weight
- 45.9 g
- Diet
- Aquatic hunters
- Family
- Laridae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Endangered
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Least Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Least Tern is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) is a species of gulls, terns, skimmers in the family Laridae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in North America, Central America & Caribbean — Great Plains to Texas and n Louisiana; c California and Gulf of California coasts to Oaxaca (w Mexico), El Salvador and Nicaragua; w North Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea from Bahamas to Lesser Antilles, islands off Yucatan Pen., Belize and n Honduras, and islands n of Venezuela.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Least Tern?
The Least Tern is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 45.9 g.
Where does the Least Tern live?
The Least Tern is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA Great Plains to Texas and n Louisiana; c California and Gulf of California coasts to Oaxaca (w Mexico), El Salvador and Nicaragua; w North Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea from Bahamas to Lesser Antilles, islands off Yucatan Pen., Belize and n Honduras, and islands n of Venezuela, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Least Tern belong to?
The Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.
What does the Least Tern eat?
The Least Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Does the Least Tern migrate?
The Least Tern is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Least 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 Least Tern make?
1 real field recording of the Least 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 Least Tern's range?
The Least Tern has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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