Status and Occurrence of Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) in British Columbia
by Rick Toochin and Don Cecile
Read the full article with photos here.
Introduction and Distribution
The Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) is listed as a species of concern, threatened, or endangered throughout its breeding range depending on the specific population that is described due to habitat loss through the birds breeding range (Thompson et al. 1997). The largest population of Least Tern is found along the Gulf of Mexico and into the Mississippi Drainage basin and has the status of “species of concern” (Thompson et al. 1997). Another breeding population of Least Tern breeds along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida; and this population is listed either as endangered or threatened (Thompson et al. 1997). The last breeding population of Least Tern is found in southern California; and this endangered population only has about 600 birds (Thompson et al. 1997). The Least Tern is a species that is prone to wandering (Thompson et al. 1997). There are records from Ontario to Newfoundland in eastern Canada (Dunn and Alderfer 2011). In the mid-west the Least Tern is casual north of its breeding range with records from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba (Thompson et al. 1997).
On the west coast north of California, the Least Tern is an accidental vagrant species. In Oregon, there are 9 records accepted by the Oregon Bird Records Committee (OFO 2012). In Washington State, there are 5 records accepted by the Washington Bird Records Committee (Wahl et al. 2005, WBRC 2012). In British Columbia, the Least Tern is an accidental vagrant with only a couple of Provincial records (Toochin et al. 2014). There are no records for Alaska or the Yukon (Sinclair et al. 2003, Gibson et al. 2013).
Occurrence and Documentation
In British Columbia, the Least Tern is an accidental vagrant with only 2 Provincial records (Campbell et al. 2001, Toochin et al. 2014). Both Provincial records of the Least Tern come from the month of June (Toochin et al. 2014). The first record was an adult bird found by Mike and Sharon Toochin on June 6, 1997, at the end of Road 22, in the south Okanagan Valley (Shepard 1998, Campbell et al. 2001). The bird remained in the area until the next day allowing many observers to see it (R. Toochin Pers. Obs.). The second record was an adult bird that was found and photographed by Robert McMorran on June 24, 2010, at Sandspit Airport, in the Queen Charlotte Islands (Charlesworth 2010, Toochin et al. 2014). The timing of both Provincial records is mirrored in Oregon and Washington State where the occurrence of the Least Tern has been predominantly from May – July (OFO 2012, WBRC 2012). The origin of both birds is impossible to know, but there are so few birds found in southern California, it would seem more likely they originated from the Mississippi region (J. Fenneman Pers. Comm.). Either way these birds were a great distance from where they are normally found. Given the wandering tendencies of this species throughout Eastern North America, it seems logical another Least Tern will turn up in British Columbia in the future. It is a species that can turn up anywhere in the Province.
