Forster’s Tern
(Sterna forsteri)
| Conservation Status | IUCN Red List |
LC - Least Concern |
No Image Available |
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NatureServe |
N5B, N5N - Secure Breeding and Nonbreeding S3B - Vulnerable Breeding |
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Minnesota |
Special Concern Species in Greatest Conservation Need |
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| Occurrence | Common migrant |
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| Habitat | Breeding: large marshes with open water Migration: lakes and marshes |
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| Size | 14″ to 16″ in length 31″ wingspan |
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| Identification | The bill and legs are orange. The underparts are white. The tail is gray with white outer edges. |
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| Voice |
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| Similar Species |
Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia) is a much larger bird. The bill is reddish-orange. Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) bill and legs are darker red. The underparts are grayish. The tail is white with gray outer edges. The call is higher pitched and longer in duration. |
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| Food | Small fish, aquatic invertebrates, and flying insects |
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| Nesting |
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| Migration | Early April to mid-May and August to early October |
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| Comments |
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| Taxonomy | Order: |
Charadriiformes (shorebirds and relatives) |
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Family: |
Laridae (gulls, terns, and skimmers) |
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| Visitor Photos | |||
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos | |||
| Slideshows | ||
| Forster's Tern Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren |
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| Forster's Tern JMC Nature Photos |
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| Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri) Joshua Mayer |
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| Foster's Tern in Flight marshalljedediah |
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About
Uploaded on May 16, 2007 Photos of a Foster's Tern in flight. Newport Bay, CA. 5/16/07 |
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| Visitor Videos | |||
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| Other Videos | |||
| Forster's Tern 2 (Panasonic GH2 + 100-300mm) MackM48 |
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About
Uploaded on May 12, 2011 Panasonic GH2 + 100-300mm |
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| Forster's Tern, Sterna forsteri, preening. Rob Curtis |
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About
Published on Apr 23, 2014 Forster's Terns, Sterna forsteri preening |
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| Forster's and Common Tern Quiz Andrew Reago |
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About
Published on Sep 3, 2012 On 9/1/2012, I digiscoped some Forster's Terns visiting Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Alton, Missouri. I thought they were all Forster's, until Bill Rudden pointed out that I might want to look again and see if there was a Common Tern amongst the bunch. And guess what? There was. Have fun finding the Common Tern. My wife Chrissy McClarren helped create this quiz. Thanks Bill! |
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| Forster's Tern, Hwy 99 NE of Craven, Saskatchewan, Canada June 6 2014 Sask Birder |
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About
Published on Nov 23, 2014 Forster's Tern, Hwy 99 NE of Craven, Saskatchewan, Canada June 6 2014 |
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| Juvenile Forster's Tern Brian Kushner |
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About
Published on Aug 21, 2014 Juvenile Forster's Tern - Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge - Oceanville NJ |
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| Visitor Sightings | ||||
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| MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings | ||||
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