LEAST TERN

The Least Tern may be the smallest of all North American terns, but it carries the spirit of a much larger bird-swift, fierce, and endlessly determined. With its slender white body, sharp black cap, and bright yellow bill, the Least Tern skims the shoreline with remarkable agility, diving gracefully for tiny fish just below the surface.

These birds nest on open beaches, sandbars, and coastal dunes from the Atlantic to the Gulf and into California, making their homes in some of the most vulnerable habitats on our coasts. Did you know that parent Least Terns often present small fish to their mates in a charming courtship ritual, almost like offering a jeweled gift? Light, quick, and full of coastal energy, the Least Tern is a beautiful symbol of summertime shores-and a compelling subject for collectors who cherish delicate, ephemeral moments in nature.