# 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. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 14 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![Least Tern](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Sternula_antillarum_-Atlantic_coast%252C_New_Jersey%252C_USA-8_%281%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Bear Golden Retriever from auburn,ny, usa, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sternula_antillarum_-Atlantic_coast%252C_New_Jersey%252C_USA-8_%281%29.jpg) ## Appearance 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Charadriiformes - **Family:** Laridae - **Genus:** Sternula ## Interesting facts - 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! ## Special abilities - **Precision Plunge:** Least Terns can dive headfirst into shallow water to catch small fish, using their keen eyesight to spot prey. - **Beach Blending:** Least Terns have speckled eggs and chicks that perfectly camouflage with sandy shores, hiding them from predators. - **Winged Wanderer:** Least Terns possess long, pointed wings that allow for efficient, rapid flight across vast migratory distances. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 21-24 cm - **Wingspan:** 48-53 cm - **Weight:** 0.035-0.055 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-15 years - **Speed:** 60 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 1-4 - **Incubation:** 19-25 days - **Migration Distance:** 6000 km ## Diet & Feeding These tiny birds mainly eat small fish and shrimp they catch by diving! - **Primary Foods:** silversides, anchovies, killifish, shrimp, small crabs - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Herring Gull](https://www.snappit.app/explore/herring-gull) (*Larus argentatus*) — Gulls often prey on eggs, chicks, and sometimes adults. - **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Raccoons frequently raid nests, eating eggs and chicks. - **Hunts:** [Mummichog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mummichog) (*Fundulus heteroclitus*) — Least Terns dive to catch this small estuarine fish. - **Hunts:** Bay Anchovy (*Anchoa mitchilli*) — A common prey fish in coastal waters. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Endangered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/endangered): Endangered status indicates a species is at a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a Least Tern, watch quietly from a distance so you don't scare it away. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Least Tern? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Least Tern? 21-24 cm ### What is Least Tern's wingspan? 48-53 cm ### How much does Least Tern weigh? 0.035-0.055 kg ### How long does Least Tern live? 5-15 years ### How fast can Least Tern move? 60 km/h ### What does Least Tern eat? These tiny birds mainly eat small fish and shrimp they catch by diving! ### Where is Least Tern usually found? Coastal areas ## Where to spot - [Camp Evans](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-evans) — New Jersey, US · Historic Site - [Fort Brown](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-brown) — US · Historic Site - [Old Lyme Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/old-lyme-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Savannah–Ogeechee Canal](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/savannah-ogeechee-canal) — Georgia, US · Historic Site - [New York Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-york-aquarium-new-york) — New York, US · Aquarium - [Bellport Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bellport-village-historic-district) — New York, US · Historic District [View all places to see Least Tern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/least-tern) ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Least Tern: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/least-tern)