Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusSternula (Small Terns)
- SpeciesSternula albifrons (Little Tern)
The little tern (Sternula albifrons) is a small seabird of the family Laridae. It is widely distributed breeding on the coasts and inland waterways of Europe, Asia, north and west Africa, and eastern Australia. It winters in the subtropical and tropical oceans as far south as South Africa and Australia. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Little Tern sighting in Yala National Park, based on 176 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Yala National Park
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Lesser Crested Tern
Thalasseus bengalensis
Bridled Tern
Onychoprion anaethetus
Brown-headed Gull
Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Lesser Noddy
Anous tenuirostris
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Little Tern in Yala National Park?
About 17% of wildlife watchers report a Little Tern sighting in Yala National Park, based on 176 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Little Tern in Yala National Park?
January has the highest sighting rate for Little Tern in Yala National Park in our monthly data.