EntdeckenVögel

Least Tern

Sternula antillarum

The Least Tern is a small, graceful bird that loves to live near the ocean. It has a sweet, high-pitched call and is known for its quick dives to catch fish in the water.

Lebensraum: Coastal areas

Aussehen

The Least Tern is the smallest tern, featuring a distinctive black cap, white forehead patch, and a slender yellow bill with a black tip. Its back is pale gray, contrasting with a white belly and forked tail. These markings help it blend into sandy coastal environments.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseAvesOrdnungCharadriiformesFamilieLaridaeGattungSternula

Least Tern

Kategorie

Vögel

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

A Least Tern chick can walk and hide just hours after hatching from its egg!

Both mom and dad Least Terns share the job of incubating eggs and feeding their babies!

Least Terns make simple nests called scrapes directly on sandy beaches or gravel.

They often nest in colonies, with many other terns nearby for safety in numbers!

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Least Terns can dive headfirst into shallow water to catch small fish, using their keen eyesight to spot prey.

Least Terns have speckled eggs and chicks that perfectly camouflage with sandy shores, hiding them from predators.

Least Terns possess long, pointed wings that allow for efficient, rapid flight across vast migratory distances.

Maße und Details

Länge: 21-24 cm
Flügelspannweite: 48-53 cm
Gewicht: 0.035-0.055 kg
Lebenserwartung: 5-15 Jahre
Top Speed: 60 km/h
Gelegegröße: 1-4
Brutzeit: 19-25 Tage
Zugstrecke: 6000 km

Ernährung und Fütterung

These tiny birds mainly eat small fish and shrimp they catch by diving!

Hauptnahrung

silversides
anchovies
killifish
shrimp
small crabs

Nahrungssuche

Pursuit

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

eaten by

Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Gulls often prey on eggs, chicks, and sometimes adults.

eaten by

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Raccoons frequently raid nests, eating eggs and chicks.

hunts

Mummichog

Fundulus heteroclitus

Least Terns dive to catch this small estuarine fish.

hunts

Bay Anchovy

Anchoa mitchilli

A common prey fish in coastal waters.

Merkmale

Gefiedert

Gefiedert beschreibt Tiere, hauptsächlich Vögel, die ein Federkleid besitzen.

Sozial

Soziale Tiere leben in organisierten Gruppen und kooperieren, um ihr Überleben zu sichern, beispielsweise bei der Nahrungssuche, Verteidigung und Aufzucht der Jungen.