Belongs to: terns

Little tern Sterna albifrons

Tiny tern with distinctive white forehead

Habitat: sea, estuaries and adjacent freshwater

Summer visitor to UK where it breeds in small numbers, declining mainly because of disturbance of its vulnerable nests

Grey upperparts, white below; yellow legs, black cap with white forehead, yellow bill with black tip

Flies with quick wingbeats and can often be seen diving for fish

Eats fish

Nest is a bare scrape on shingle near sea

1 Brood May to June; 2-3 olive brown eggs

Winters in Africa