Sternula

Sternula
Little tern
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Charadriiformes
Family:	Laridae
Subfamily:	Sterninae
Genus:	Sternula F. Boie, 1822
Type species
Sterna minuta[1] Linnaeus, 1766
Species
7, see text

Sternula is a genus of small white terns. It is often subsumed into the larger genus Sterna, although the most recent changes to the AOU checklist considers it a separate genus.^[2] The genus name is a diminutive of Sterna, "tern".^[3]

Species

Listed alphabetically.^[4]

Image	Common Name	Scientific name	Distribution
	Little tern	Sternula albifrons	temperate and tropical Europe and Asia.
	Least tern	Sternula antillarum	North America and locally in northern South America.
	Damara tern	Sternula balaenarum	southern Africa and migrates to tropical African coasts
	Peruvian tern	Sternula lorata	Chile, Ecuador, and Peru
	Fairy tern	Sternula nereis	Australia, New Caledonia,northern New Zealand
	Saunders's tern	Sternula saundersi	north-western Indian Ocean
	Yellow-billed tern	Sternula superciliaris	Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

Saunders's and least terns were both formerly considered to be subspecies of little tern.

References

• v
• t
• e

Genera of shorebirds and their extinct allies

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Aves
• Infraclass: Neognathae
• Clade: Neoaves
• Order: Charadriiformes

Charadriiformes
incertae sedis †Charadriisimilis †Eupterornis? †Fluviatitavis? †Jiliniornis †"Morsoravis" †Nahmavis †Palintropus? †Sarjeantopodus †Scandiavis †Volgavis? †Laornithidae? Laornis †Graculavidae? Dakotornis Graculavus Palaeotringa Telmatornis? Charadrii See below ↓ Scolopaci See below ↓ Lari See below ↓

Charadrii
incertae sedis †Cherevychnavis Burhinidae Burhinus Esacus †Genucrassum Pluvianellidae Pluvianellus Chionidae Chionis †Chionoides †Neilus Pluvianidae Pluvianus Pluvianidae Vanellinae †Dolicopterus? Erythrogonys Hoploxypterus Vanellus †Viator Charadriinae Anarhynchus Charadrius †Dorypaltus Elseyornis †Jilniornis Oreopholus Peltohyas Phegornis Pluvialis Thinornis Recurvirostridae Cladorhynchus Himantopus †Kashinia Recurvirostra Ibidorhynchidae Ibidorhyncha Haematopodidae Haematopus

Scolopaci
incertae sedis †Hakawai †Scolopacimilis Jacanidae Actophilornis Hydrophasianus Irediparra Jacana †Janipes Metopidius Microparra †Nupharanassa Pedionomidae †Oligonomus Pedionomus Rostratulidae Nycticryphes Rostratula Scolopacidae Actitis Arenaria Bartramia Calidris Coenocorypha †Elorius Gallinago Limnocryptes Limnodromus Limosa †Mirolia Numenius †Nuntius †Paractitis †Parvelorius Phalaropus Prosobonia Scolopax Tringa †Villetus Xenus Thinocoridae Attagis Thinocorus

Lari
Alcidae †Divisulcus †Hydrotherikornis †Miocepphus †Pseudocepphus Alcinae Alcini Alca Alle †Pinguinus Uria Synthliboramphini Synthliboramphus Cepphini Cepphus Brachyramphini Brachyramphus Fraterculinae Aethiini Aethia Ptychoramphus Fraterculini Cerorhinca Fratercula †Mancallinae Alcodes Mancalla Miomancalla Praemancalla Dromadidae Dromas Glareolidae †Becassius †Boutersemia †Mioglareola †Paractiornis †"Precursor"? Glareolinae Glareola Stiltia Glareolinae Cursorius Rhinoptilus Laridae Anous Chlidonias Chroicocephalus Creagrus †Feducciavis †Gaviota Gelochelidon Gygis Hydrocoloeus Hydroprogne Ichthyaetus †Laricola Larosterna Larus Leucophaeus †Limicolavis? †Limosavis Onychoprion Pagophila Phaetusa †Pseudosterna Rhodostethia Rynchops Rissa Sterna †Sternalara Sternula Thalasseus Xema Stercorariidae Stercorarius Turnicidae †Cerestenia †Eocliffia? Ortyxelos †Turnipax Turnix