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Species
Sterna albifrons Pallas, 1764
SUMMARY
The Little Tern is a slender, very small, migratory or partly migratory seabird. Grey plumage covers most of the body with the tips of the wings and the head beingpredominately black. The wings are very narrow and the tail is moderately long and deeply forked. The tip of the tail falls short of the wing tips at rest. During the breeding season, the legs, feet and bill change from black to yellow. Further, the heads of breeding birds have a black cap that contrasts with a white forehead. The Little Tern is very similar in size and shape to the Fairy Tern Sterna nereis. The species is very vocal. The usual flight call is a repetitive shrill high-pitched kik or kip or a high-pitched, slightly rasping, disyllabic gi-wick or kid-ik.