Photo: JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Little Tern

Sternula albifrons

Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Africa.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of New South Wales Birds of Northern Territory Birds of Queensland Birds of South Australia Birds of Tasmania Birds of Victoria Birds of Western Australia Birds of England Birds of Bedfordshire Birds of Buckinghamshire

By family

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of New South Wales Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Northern Territory Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Queensland Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of South Australia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Tasmania Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Victoria Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Western Australia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of England

See what's near you right now

The Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) is a member of the Laridae family found in Africa, Australia & Oceania and Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 57 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 Sternula
Species albifrons

Where it lives

Western Europe, southwestern Russia, central Asia, Mongolia to southeastern Russia, Japan, eastern China, Taiwan and Vietnam; northern, western Africa; Persian Gulf and Iraq to Indus Valley (Pakistan) and Gangetic Plain (north-central India); Sri Lanka; Gulf of Thailand, Malay Pen., Singapore, and islands off Greater Sundas; off New Britain (southeastern Bismarck Arch.), Bougainville (northern Solomon Is.); coastal northwestern, northern, eastern, southeastern Australia and Tasmania; and Saipan (southern Northern Mariana Is., northwestern Micronesia)

Quick facts

Weight: 57 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Laridae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Vulnerable

Fairy Tern

Sternula nereis

Least Concern

Least Tern

Sternula antillarum

Endangered

Peruvian Tern

Sternula lorata

Least Concern

Saunders’s Tern

Sternula saundersi

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Little Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

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

Migration

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

The Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) is a species of gulls, terns, skimmers in the family Laridae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in Africa, Europe & Northern Asia, South & Southeast Asia, Australia & Oceania — w Europe, sw Russia, c Asia, Mongolia to se Russia, Japan, e China, Taiwan and Vietnam; n, w Africa; Persian Gulf and Iraq to Indus Valley (Pakistan) and Gangetic Plain (nc India); Sri Lanka; Gulf of Thailand, Malay Pen., Singapore, and islands off Greater Sundas; off New Britain (se Bismarck Arch.), Bougainville (n Solomon Is.); coastal nw, n, e, se Australia and Tasmania; and Saipan (s Northern Mariana Is., nw Micronesia).

Songs & calls

Little Tern — Call

Recorded by Ding Li Yong Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Little Tern?

The Little Tern is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 57 g.

Where does the Little Tern live?

The Little Tern is found across Africa, Australia & Oceania and Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering AF, PAL, OR, AU w Europe, sw Russia, c Asia, Mongolia to se Russia, Japan, e China, Taiwan and Vietnam; n, w Africa; Persian Gulf and Iraq to Indus Valley (Pakistan) and Gangetic Plain (nc India); Sri Lanka; Gulf of Thailand, Malay Pen., Singapore, and islands off Greater Sundas; off New Britain (se Bismarck Arch.), Bougainville (n Solomon Is.); coastal nw, n, e, se Australia and Tasmania; and Saipan (s Northern Mariana Is., nw Micronesia), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Little Tern belong to?

The Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Little Tern eat?

The Little Tern hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Little Tern migrate?

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

Is the Little 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 Little Tern make?

1 real field recording of the Little 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 Little Tern's range?

The Little Tern has a mapped global range of about 12 million km².