Kauaʻi record · kba_bird_little_tern
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
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About Little Tern
Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) appears in the wider Hawaiian bird catalog, but the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist has no Kauaʻi occurrence code for it. An island-specific record is needed before claiming local presence.
Kauaʻi evidence
A Hawaiʻi-level record is available, but the species needs a documented Kauaʻi observation before local ecological conclusions are drawn.
Occurrence evidence
island_checklist_no_kauai_code
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Sternula albifrons
- Common names
- Little Tern
- Family
- Laridae
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Record type
- Species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- No Kauaʻi occurrence code in 2017 island checklist; further evidence needed
- Origin
- Indigenous
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
- Evidence date
- 2026-09-13
- Evidence limits
- Kauaʻi occurrence or ecological use remains uncertain
Habitat and ecology
- Habitats
- Shorelines · Coastal habitat · Offshore waters and islands · Urban areas
- Food and resource needs
- Food and resources may include marine prey such as fish, squid, crustaceans, areas schooling prey, carrion, or kleptoparasitic food pathways depending on the seabird role
- Reproduction
- Suitable nesting or roosting sites, seasonal food, and protection from disturbance and predators.
- Shelter
- Shelter and structure within shorelines, coastal habitat, offshore waters and islands.
Threats and conservation
- Threats
- Coastal disturbance, fishery/prey availability, light attraction, marine debris, disease, and rare-record review are open questions
- Conservation actions
- Document date, place, observer, habitat, and supporting media · Confirm identification and Kauaʻi occurrence before local conservation use
- Monitoring
- Document date, place, observer, habitat, behavior, and supporting media for any Kauaʻi observation.
- Data gaps
- A documented Kauaʻi observation with date, place, observer, and supporting media is needed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal timing
- Rare Or Unresolved Hawaiian Coastal Pelagic Record Needs Kauai Review
- Seasonal description
- Little Tern (Sternula albifrons) appears in the wider Hawaiian bird catalog, but the Bishop Museum's 2017 island checklist has no Kauaʻi occurrence code for it. An island-specific record is needed before claiming local presence.
Sources and further reading
- https://westernfieldornithologists.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Hawaiian_Islands_Bird_Checklist-Jan-2019.pdf
- https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/wildlife/sanctuaries/kaua%CA%BBi-offshore-islets-seabird-sanctuaries/
- https://hawaiibirdingtrails.hawaii.gov/birding_hotspot/salt-pond-beach-park/
- https://hawaiibirdingtrails.hawaii.gov/birding_hotspot/kilauea-point-national-wildlife-refuge/
- https://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/SEHIlist.htm