Birdsong field guide
Saunders's Tern
Sternula saundersi
A small, pale seabird closely resembling the Little Tern, characterized by its rapid wingbeats and plunge-diving hunting style.
What it sounds like
A sharp, high-pitched 'kik' or a rasping 'kirri-kik'.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
0:00 / 0:43
Field notes
- Distinguished from the Little Tern by having three dark outer primary feathers instead of two.
- Nests in simple scrapes on open, flat ground such as salt pans or coral sand beaches.
- Breeding adults display a white forehead patch that does not extend above the eye.
- Populations are primarily found along the coastlines of the north-western Indian Ocean.
- Courtship involves elaborate aerial displays and the male presenting small fish to the female.
Habitat
Coastal waters, sandy beaches, lagoons, and hypersaline salt pans.
Range
Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and the northern Indian Ocean coasts to India and Sri Lanka.
Similar & commonly confused birds
Heard a Saunders's Tern?
Open Birdsong, tap record, and identify the bird singing near you in seconds — then collect it in your field journal.
Identify a bird by its song