WhenToBird

Sternula antillarum · Laridae

Least Tern: When and Where to See It

Adult Least Tern
Photo: datadan, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The Least Tern reaches Florida first, around late March, and North Dakota last, around late May.

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: 0.1% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 0.1% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 0% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 0.1% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 0.1% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 0.1% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 0.1% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 0.1% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 0.1% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 0.1% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 0.1% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 0.1% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 0.4% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 0.7% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 1.1% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 1.1% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 1.0% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 1.2% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 1.7% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 1.8% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 1.8% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 1.8% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 1.9% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 2.0% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 2.1% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 2.3% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 2.5% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 2.5% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 2.2% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 1.9% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 1.4% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 0.9% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 0.5% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 0.2% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 0.1% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 0.1% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 0.1% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 0.1% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 0.1% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 0.1% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 0.1% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 0.1% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 0.1% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 0.1% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 0.1% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 0.1% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 0.1% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 0.1% 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 %
FloridaSummer visitorMar 22-31Jun 15-21Aug 8-149.4%
MississippiSummer visitorMar 22-31May 22-31Aug 22-319.4%
AlabamaSummer visitorApr 1-7Apr 22-30Aug 15-215.4%
LouisianaSummer visitorApr 1-7Apr 22-30Sep 1-76.0%
South CarolinaSummer visitorApr 1-7May 22-31Aug 15-216.5%
TexasSummer visitorApr 1-7Apr 22-30Sep 1-74.4%
North CarolinaSummer visitorApr 8-14Aug 1-7Aug 22-315.0%
GeorgiaSummer visitorApr 15-21Jul 22-31Aug 15-211.4%
HawaiiSummer visitorApr 15-21Sep 15-21Dec 1-72.2%
New JerseySummer visitorApr 22-30Jul 22-31Aug 15-219.5%
MarylandSummer visitorApr 22-30Jul 8-14Aug 8-143.2%
VirginiaSummer visitorApr 22-30Jul 8-14Aug 15-211.8%
Rhode IslandSummer visitorMay 1-7Jul 15-21Aug 22-3122%
DelawareSummer visitorMay 1-7Jul 22-31Aug 15-2110%
MassachusettsSummer visitorMay 1-7Jul 22-31Aug 22-3112%
ConnecticutSummer visitorMay 1-7Jul 22-31Aug 15-218.5%
CaliforniaSummer visitorMay 1-7Jul 8-14Aug 15-213.0%
OklahomaSummer visitorMay 8-14Aug 1-7Aug 22-314.5%
MaineSummer visitorMay 15-21Jul 15-21Aug 8-143.6%
New YorkSummer visitorMay 15-21Jul 15-21Aug 15-214.2%
ArkansasSummer visitorMay 15-21Aug 8-14Sep 1-72.4%
IndianaSummer visitorMay 15-21Jun 1-7Aug 8-141.1%
MissouriSummer visitorMay 15-21Aug 1-7Aug 22-311.6%
NebraskaSummer visitorMay 15-21Jul 15-21Aug 8-142.5%
New HampshireSummer visitorMay 15-21Aug 1-7Aug 15-211.0%
South DakotaSummer visitorMay 15-21Aug 1-7Aug 15-211.6%
North DakotaSummer visitorMay 22-31Jun 22-30Aug 8-141.1%

Summer visitor in: Alabama, Louisiana, Texas