least tern
E541947
The least tern is a small migratory seabird of North and Central America, known for its slender build, sharp black-and-white head pattern, and nesting on open sandy or gravelly riverbanks and coastal beaches.
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
bird species
ⓘ
tern ⓘ |
| averageLength | about 22–24 cm ⓘ |
| averageMass | about 40–55 g ⓘ |
| averageWingspan | about 50 cm ⓘ |
| billColor | yellow bill with black tip in breeding season ⓘ |
| binomialName | Sternula antillarum NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| bodySize | small ⓘ |
| breedingRange |
coastal North America
ⓘ
inland river systems of North America ⓘ |
| breedingSystem | monogamous during breeding season ⓘ |
| class | Aves NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| commonName | least tern ⓘ |
| conservationStatus | varies regionally ⓘ |
| diet |
crustaceans
ⓘ
small fish ⓘ |
| eggColor | buff to sand-colored with dark speckles ⓘ |
| family | Laridae NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| foragingBehavior | plunge-diving for fish near the water surface ⓘ |
| genus | Sternula NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| habitat |
coastal beaches
ⓘ
gravelly riverbanks ⓘ salt flats ⓘ sandbars ⓘ sandy riverbanks ⓘ |
| headPattern | black cap with white forehead ⓘ |
| kingdom | Animalia ⓘ |
| legColor | yellow legs ⓘ |
| migratoryBehavior | migratory ⓘ |
| nativeRange |
Central America
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
North America NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| nestingSite |
open gravelly areas
ⓘ
open sandy areas ⓘ |
| nestType | shallow scrape on ground ⓘ |
| nonBreedingRange |
Caribbean region
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
coasts of Central America ⓘ |
| order | Charadriiformes NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| phylum | Chordata ⓘ |
| plumage | slender build with pale gray upperparts and white underparts ⓘ |
| previousScientificName | Sterna antillarum NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| reproduction | lays 1–3 eggs per clutch ⓘ |
| scientificName | Sternula antillarum NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| socialBehavior | colonial nester ⓘ |
| taxonRank | species ⓘ |
| threats |
coastal development
ⓘ
habitat loss ⓘ human disturbance at nesting sites ⓘ predation on eggs and chicks ⓘ river regulation and damming ⓘ |
| vocalization | high-pitched, sharp calls ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.