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
Examples of least tern in a Sentence
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Do the most for the least tern in Huntington Beach
Volunteers are needed 9 a.m. Saturday at Huntington State Beach to install cording along the fence around California least tern nests.
—
Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
Several species, including black skimmers, least terns, roseate terns and American oystercatchers, have taken to nesting on the plentiful gravel rooftops of buildings near the waterfront.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
Nearly 200 species of birds have been spotted in the wetlands, including the endangered California least tern.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
Last summer, researchers found three of them in the nesting area of least terns, small seabirds with black caps and smoky gray plumage that are declining in parts of the US.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2024
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Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2025
Several species, including black skimmers, least terns, roseate terns and American oystercatchers, have taken to nesting on the plentiful gravel rooftops of buildings near the waterfront.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
Nearly 200 species of birds have been spotted in the wetlands, including the endangered California least tern.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2024
Last summer, researchers found three of them in the nesting area of least terns, small seabirds with black caps and smoky gray plumage that are declining in parts of the US.
—Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2024
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 19 Mar. 2025.
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