Illustration from National Geographic's Field Guide to the Birds of North America
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
August 7, 1806, just above the mouth of the Yellowstone River, North Dakota.
White with pale gray back and wings, black cap, and deeply forked tail. Bill orange with black tip.
Harsh nasal beep.
Freshwater marshes in West; salt marshes in East.
Breeds along Atlantic coast from Massachusetts to Texas and in interior from Alberta and California east to Great Lakes. Winters along coasts from California and Virginia southward.
One of the few exclusively North American terns, Forster's is so similar to the common tern that it was not recognized as a distinct species until 1831.
