We have just returned from Cuba staying out on Cayo Coco. We had terrific weather and I was fortunate to get out birding every day. I observed 84 species, adding 7 new species to my Cuba bird list, with the Key West Quail-Dove being the only new lifer for me, bringing my Cuba bird list to 132 species. A bird that I had observed last year, but failed to photograph, was the Least Tern. These are adorable little terns that are only 8-9”.
The Least Tern is a distinctive, very small seabird, slim in all proportions, with long, narrow wings, trim body, and slender, sharp bill.
Breeding adults are pale gray and white, with a black cap, white forehead, and yellow bill. Nonbreeding adults have a dark bill, smudgy grayish crown, and may show a dark bar at the bend of the wing. The outer primaries are dark gray-black. Juveniles are similar to nonbreeding adults but scaly gray above. The legs are orange.
Least Terns dart over waterways, usually close to shore, diving for fish or other small prey. Males bring small fish to females for courtship feeding during much of the nesting season. Flight is strong and direct, on stiff, jerky, rapid wingbeats.
Least Tern habitat includes barrier islands and beaches, dredge spoil, river islands, flat gravel rooftops, and similar habitats for nesting. Cornell All About Birds
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