BirdsIn Ohio
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri Nuttall, 1834
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Charadriiformes
- Family
- Laridae
- Genus
- Sterna
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 0 of Ohio's 88 counties. Its mapped range covers 88. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (0)
- Within its mapped range (62)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (25)
- Recorded, season not shown (1)
- Season shown (0)
Counties as a table
| County | Records | In mapped range |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Allen County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Ashland County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Ashtabula County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Athens County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Auglaize County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Belmont County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Brown County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Butler County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Carroll County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Champaign County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Clark County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Clermont County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Clinton County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Columbiana County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Coshocton County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Crawford County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Cuyahoga County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Darke County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Defiance County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Delaware County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Erie County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Fairfield County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Fayette County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Franklin County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Fulton County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Gallia County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Geauga County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Greene County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Guernsey County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Hamilton County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Hancock County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Hardin County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Harrison County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Henry County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Highland County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Hocking County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Holmes County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Huron County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Jackson County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Jefferson County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Knox County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Lake County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Lawrence County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Licking County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Logan County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Lorain County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Lucas County | 25 · Recorded, season not shown | Yes: migration |
| Madison County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Mahoning County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Marion County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Medina County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Mercer County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Miami County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Monroe County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Montgomery County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Morgan County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Morrow County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Muskingum County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Noble County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Paulding County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Perry County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Pickaway County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Pike County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Portage County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Preble County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Richland County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Ross County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Sandusky County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Scioto County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Seneca County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Shelby County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Stark County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Summit County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Trumbull County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Tuscarawas County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Union County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Van Wert County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Warren County | Recorded, too few records for a result | Yes: migration |
| Washington County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Wayne County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Williams County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Wood County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
| Wyandot County | No qualifying records yet | Yes: migration |
Season
When it is recorded
In Ohio
Mid-April to late May, middle week early May, and again early July to early November, middle week late August
Recorded in two separate seasons, each shown with its own early, middle and late weeks.
This week · Nov 8–14
Show over the bars
Records per week from 125 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Forster's Tern | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 1 | 1 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 1 | 1 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 7 | 4 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 8 | 6 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 16 | 9 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 14 | 8 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 5 | 5 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 2 | 2 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 1 | 1 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 3 | 1 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 0 | 0 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 2 | 2 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 1 | 1 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 2 | 1 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 3 | 2 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 4 | 4 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 2 | 2 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 5 | 2 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 3 | 3 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 4 | 3 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 6 | 2 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 9 | 4 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 1 | 1 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 8 | 5 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 3 | 2 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 2 | 2 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 1 | 1 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 2 | 1 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 1 | 1 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 2 | 2 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 4 | 3 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 2 | 2 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 8,459 |
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Identification
How to identify it
Look-alikes
When
Land cover
Often confused with
- Common Tern Sterna hirundoOften confused in Ohio: 26 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia91 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Bonaparte's Gull Chroicocephalus philadelphia15 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Black Tern Chlidonias niger12 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Months not reported
- Jan: no record
- Feb: no record
- Mar: no record
- Apr: recorded
- May: recorded
- Jun: recorded
- Jul: recorded
- Aug: recorded
- Sep: recorded
- Oct: recorded
- Nov: recorded
- Dec: no record
Not reported in Ohio in December to March, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Open water | 44%3% |
| Developed | 35%49% |
| Barren | 9%0.6% |
| Grassland and shrub | 5%0.9% |
| Wetland | 5%5% |
| Farmland | 2%11% |
From 43 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Ohio result
125 records from 2 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 123 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 2 recordsiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.