least tern
noun
: a very small black-capped tern (Sterna antillarum) with a white body and forehead that is found chiefly in coastal areas of eastern North America and California
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His property fronts the lagoon on two sides, and provides habitat for the endangered light-footed Ridgeway’s rail, California least tern and light-footed clapper rail.
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Calmatters, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
The California least tern is a white-and-black bird less than 10 inches long that breeds only in a few areas along the bays and lagoons of California and Mexico and is in danger of extinction because of coastal development.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
The beach also provides a nesting sanctuary for endangered and threatened bird species, including the California least tern and snowy plover.
—Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
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Calmatters, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
The California least tern is a white-and-black bird less than 10 inches long that breeds only in a few areas along the bays and lagoons of California and Mexico and is in danger of extinction because of coastal development.
—Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
The beach also provides a nesting sanctuary for endangered and threatened bird species, including the California least tern and snowy plover.
—Greg Mellen, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for least tern
Cite this Entry
“Least tern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/least%20tern. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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