(Sterna forsteri)
14 - 15 inches

photograph © Walker Golder

Status: No special status in North Carolina.

Identification: ForsterŐs Terns are sometimes confused with Common Terns. This medium-sized tern is most easily identified by the silvery color on the upper wing primaries, as compared to the dull gray primaries of the Common Tern. The bill has an orange base and black tip during the breeding season. ForsterŐs Terns can also be distinguished by their voice which is an insect-like buzz.

Nesting Habitat: In North Carolina, ForsterŐs Terns nest entirely in estuarine systems, usually on marsh islands. Elsewhere they nest in both fresh and saltwater marshes.

Breeding Biology: Adults usually begin nesting activities in late April and early May. Egg-laying usually peaks from mid-May to June. Nests are built on mats of wrack that accumulates in marshes during spring and storm tides, or on shoals. Nests are often slightly elevated above the surface of the wrack mat. The females lay three to four eggs. The eggs are olive to greenish-brown with uneven dark blotches and are very difficult to distinguish from the eggs of the Common Tern. The incubation period is about 23 days, and chicks fledge at about 40 days of age. ForsterŐs Terns may occupy colony sites in North Carolina from late April to August.

Food: Food consists primarily of small fish, but includes insects, frogs and crustaceans.

State Nesting Population: Declining, approximately 900 nesting pairs.

Major Threats: Human disturbances at nesting sites, flooding and predation.

Waterbirds:
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Last Revision 5/21/98