Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri (Nuttall, 1834)
FO
FORTE
6180
Family: Charadriiformes > Laridae
Similar to Common Tern, but with a pale orange bill, Forster's Tern is a rare visitor from North America, with most records coming from around the Irish Sea during the winter months.
In some areas, the floating nests of Forster's Terns face an unusual hazard – spawning carp can work up such a frenzy that they sometimes dislodge eggs from the terns' nests.
Select a topic for more facts and statistics about the Forster's Tern
BTO RECORDS
BTO RECORDS
Identification
Develop your bird ID skills with our training courses
Our interactive online courses are a great way to develop your bird identification skills, whether you're new to the hobby or a competent birder looking to hone your abilities.
Browse training coursesStatus and Trends
Population size and trends and patterns of distribution based on BTO surveys and atlases with data collected by BTO volunteers.
CONSERVATION STATUS
This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.
| IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global) |
Least Concern 
|
| Schedule 1 license required (to disturb) | No |
| Birds Directive Annex 1 | No |
POPULATION SIZE
We have no population estimates for this scarce species.
| BOU Category | A |
|
First Record
|
Cornwall, 1980 |
DISTRIBUTION
This species is a rare vagrant and was recorded during Bird Atlas 2007–11 as shown on the map.
-
Britain and Ireland Breeding Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore. -
Britain and Ireland Winter Distribution 2008-2011.
More from the Atlas Mapstore.
Occupied 10-km squares in UK
| No. occupied in winter | 1 |
| % occupied in winter | 0.03 |
DISTRIBUTION CHANGE
This vagrant is too rarely reported to map distribution change.
SEASONALITY
Forster's Tern is a rare vagrant, recorded sporadically but most often in winter, and often involving returning individuals.
Movement
Information about movement and migration based on online bird portals (e.g. BirdTrack), Ringing schemes and tracking studies.
RINGING RECOVERIES
View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.
Biology
Lifecycle and body size information about Forster's Tern, including statistics on nesting, eggs and lifespan based on BTO ringing and nest recording data.
PRODUCTIVITY & NESTING
Sample sizes are too small to report Productivity and Nesting statistics for this species.
CODES & CLASSIFICATION
|
Field Codes
|
2-letter: FO | 5-letter code: FORTE | Euring: 6180 |
For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name
Links to more information from ConservationEvidence.com
Would you like to search for another species?
Share this page