LITTLE TERN 



Sterna minuta 



N the British Islands the Lesser Tern is not a very 

 common species, nor is it very widely distributed, but in 

 suitable localities along the Scottish coasts its colonies are 

 scattered here and there, and also on some of the 

 adjacent islands, including the Orkneys. In England 

 there are also small scattered colonies of this species, 

 chiefly on the eastern and southern coasts. The Lesser 

 Tern is somewhat local in Wales and also on the Irish coasts, and breeds 

 occasionally on some of our fresh-water lochs. 



The favourite haunts of the Lesser Tern are low-lying sandy shores, with 

 occasional beds of fine gravel and broken shells, especially at the mouths of 

 small rivers where there are little islands and pools with banks of fine sand 

 and broken shells. Its movements are very interesting to watch as it flies 

 slowly along above the water, hovering every now and then like some 

 miniature Hawk, and swooping down like an arrow into the water after the 

 small fish which are its staple food. It has rather a slow, jerky manner of 

 flying, and often at the first glance looks like a much larger bird farther 

 away. In its habits it much resembles the Common and Arctic Terns, 

 obtaining most of its food in the same way, dropping down on the tiny fish 

 like a stone, and carrying the struggling captive ashore, or sitting on the 

 water to eat it. It has a curious habit of shaking itself in the air after rising 

 from the water, and very rarely perches on the ground, except at its nest or 

 when sleeping, and does not walk well. 



The call-note of the Lesser Tern is the ' kree' or ' kee-rr* common to 

 most of the Terns, but when its colonies are invaded it has a short, sharp 

 alarm-note, which is constantly repeated, and may be represented on paper 

 by 'wikrr* or 'yeic/ik,' the latter often sounding like a sneeze. It is a noisy 



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