Little tern
| Little tern | ||||||||||
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Little tern |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Sternula albifrons | ||||||||||
| ( Pallas , 1764) |
The tern ( Sternula albifrons , Syn. : Sterna albifrons ) having a weight of 45 g and a length of 20 cm, the smallest and the least common in Central Europe tern .
Their habitat are sandy beaches and shallow gravel banks of the large rivers . In the past, their distribution area extended to Lake Constance . There are still around 650 breeding pairs in the entire mudflat area , with a decreasing trend.
The clutch consists of up to three eggs, which are deposited in sand hollows. After a breeding period of 21 days, the young birds hatch and leave the nest within 24 hours as they flee the nest. They reach their ability to fly after three weeks, but are fed by their parents for weeks until they can dive into fishing themselves.
The little terns feed in the shallow water areas off the coast . But they also search in slow flowing rivers. The diet consists of small fish , crustaceans , mussels , snails and occasionally insects .
Endangerment & Protection Status
In Germany, the species is considered to be critically endangered (Red List Cat. 1). It is listed in Appendix I of the EU Bird Protection Directive (RL 79/409 / EEC).
Web links
- Sternula albifrons in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed on January 1 of 2009.
- various terns photographed in the wild.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Sterna albifrons in the Internet Bird Collection
- Little tern feathers
Individual evidence
- ↑ Christoph Grüneberg, Hans-Günther Bauer, Heiko Haupt, Ommo Hüppop, Torsten Ryslavy, Peter Südbeck: Red List of Germany's Breeding Birds , 5 version . In: German Council for Bird Protection (Hrsg.): Reports on bird protection . tape 52 , November 30, 2015.