General

Forster's Tern: Medium-sized tern with pale gray upperparts, black cap, and white underparts. Bill is orange with black tip. Wings are pale gray with paler primaries. Tail is pale gray and deeply forked with dark inner edge and white outer edge. Legs and feet are orange. Sexes are similar. Winter adult lacks black cap but has distinctive black eye patch, gray streaks on head, dark bill, and dull orange legs and feet. Juvnile resembles winter adult but has brown markings on back, nape, head, and upperwings that fade and orange-based black bill that darkens by end of summer.

Range and Habitat

Forster's Tern: Breeds along the Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Texas and in interior Alberta and California east to the Great Lakes. Spends winters along the coasts from California and Virginia southward. In the west, prefers freshwater marshes, whereas in the east, prefers salt marshes.

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"ki-arr", "za-a-ap", "zrurrr", "beep"

Interesting Facts

 Forster's Tern is the only tern restricted almost entirely to North America throughout the year.

 They breed in marshes near Black Terns. Wandering semi-precocial young may account for observations of each species feeding the other's young.

 This bird is named after the naturalist Johann Reinhold Forster.

 A group of terns are collectively known as a "ternery" or a "U" of terns.

Author

Gary Owen Dick

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