Forster’s tern

Forster’s tern is a medium-sized tern with a pale silvery-grey back, white underparts, and an orange bill with a dark tip. In the breeding season it wears a black cap, and in fall and winter that shrinks to a black mask through the eye.

It nests in marshes, and it feeds by flying low over the water and diving for small fish and insects. In Manitoba it is a summer visitor to marshes and lakes, and it spends the winter along the coasts to the south.

I like this photograph for the fish held crosswise in its bill, which shows the bird in the middle of a hunt.

For more on the Forster’s tern and its habitat, see its species guide at All About Birds.

Forster’s tern Manitoba sightings

Forster’s tern sightings in Manitoba depend on the season and the habitat. You can see more species in the Manitoba birds section.

Back to Manitoba bird photography, or see the portfolio.