WhenToBird

Sterna forsteri · Laridae

Forster's Tern: When and Where to See It

Adult Forster's Tern
Photo: Aitor, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Forster's Tern reaches North Carolina first, around mid June, and Mississippi last, around mid August.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%1%2%3%Jan 1-7: 1.6% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 1.7% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 1.7% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 1.7% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 1.5% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 1.4% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 1.1% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 1.4% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 1.2% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 1.2% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 1.2% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 1.3% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 1.5% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 1.8% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 2.2% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 2.4% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 2.3% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 2.0% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 2.0% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 1.7% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 1.5% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 1.3% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 1.4% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 1.5% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 1.6% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 1.8% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.0% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.2% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 2.4% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 2.6% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 2.5% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 2.4% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 2.3% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 2.1% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 2.0% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 1.9% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 1.8% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 1.7% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 1.7% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 1.7% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 1.6% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 1.7% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 1.5% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 1.6% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 1.4% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 1.4% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 1.3% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 1.7% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
DelawareSummer visitorMar 8-14Aug 1-7Nov 15-2130%
VirginiaSummer visitorMar 8-14Sep 1-7Jan 8-144.7%
LouisianaAll year, most in springMar 15-21Apr 15-21May 1-78.4%
CaliforniaSummer visitorMar 15-21Jul 22-31Dec 1-75.5%
New JerseySummer visitorMar 22-31May 15-21Oct 22-3115%
MarylandSummer visitorMar 22-31Aug 8-14Nov 22-307.8%
South DakotaSummer visitorApr 8-14May 1-7Sep 1-76.2%
NebraskaSummer visitorApr 8-14Apr 22-30Jun 15-213.9%
MichiganSummer visitorApr 8-14Apr 22-30Sep 22-302.2%
MissouriSummer visitorApr 8-14Apr 22-30May 15-211.5%
North DakotaSummer visitorApr 15-21Jun 1-7Aug 8-147.1%
UtahSummer visitorApr 15-21May 8-14Oct 1-77.4%
IowaSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7May 22-313.1%
New YorkSummer visitorApr 15-21Aug 1-7Oct 8-144.0%
WisconsinSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7Aug 1-72.9%
ColoradoSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7Jun 1-71.5%
IllinoisSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7May 22-311.2%
MinnesotaSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7Sep 1-72.3%
NevadaSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7Sep 15-212.0%
OhioSummer visitorApr 15-21May 1-7May 22-312.0%
IdahoSummer visitorApr 22-30May 8-14Sep 22-302.2%
MontanaSummer visitorApr 22-30May 8-14Sep 8-141.7%
OregonSummer visitorApr 22-30May 22-31Jul 15-211.9%
WyomingSummer visitorApr 22-30May 8-14Sep 1-72.0%
North CarolinaSummer visitorJun 15-21Aug 15-21Apr 15-214.2%
Rhode IslandPasses throughJul 1-7Aug 15-21Sep 15-216.5%
ArkansasSummer visitorJul 1-7Aug 22-31Nov 1-71.3%
KansasSummer visitorJul 8-14Aug 15-21Sep 22-304.0%
OklahomaSummer visitorJul 8-14Aug 8-14Jan 8-145.0%
MassachusettsSummer visitorJul 15-21Aug 22-31Oct 22-312.5%
ConnecticutSummer visitorJul 15-21Aug 15-21Nov 8-141.9%
IndianaSummer visitorJul 15-21Sep 1-7Oct 22-311.2%
TennesseeSummer visitorJul 15-21Aug 22-31Dec 15-211.1%
District of ColumbiaPasses throughAug 1-7Sep 1-7Sep 15-213.0%
KentuckySummer visitorAug 1-7Sep 8-14Dec 22-311.1%
TexasAll year, most in winterOct 22-31Apr 8-14May 1-75.8%
AlabamaWinter visitorJun 22-30Oct 8-14May 1-75.2%
South CarolinaWinter visitorJul 15-21Jan 1-7Apr 22-309.7%
FloridaWinter visitorJul 22-31Jan 15-21Apr 15-219.1%
MississippiAll year, most in fallAug 15-21Sep 8-14Nov 15-219.2%
GeorgiaWinter visitorSep 8-14Mar 1-7Apr 22-303.2%

Winter visitor in: Texas, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia

Passes through: Louisiana

Summer visitor in: New Jersey, South Dakota, Nebraska, Michigan, Missouri, Utah, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Delaware, Virginia, California, Maryland, North Dakota, New York, Oregon