Birdwatching at California Least Tern Preserve, Coronado, California

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With its warm, nutrient-rich shallow waters, intertidal shorelines, shelter from waves, and relative protection from marine predators, San Diego Bay provides a valuable habitat that serves as nursery, breeding, and resting grounds for an abundance of marine species. California least tern lay 2-3 eggs in May through June and incubations last 20-25 days. Both parents care for the young terns and teach the chicks to dive for fish. The California least tern (Sternula antillarum browni) is a federally protected, endangered migratory seabird. Each year, least terns migrate to San Diego Bay to nest on sandy beaches, mudflats, and dune habitats across the bay, including the D Street Fill, just south of Pepper Park. The Port of San Diego and San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge jointly manage the nesting site at the D Street Fill. Least terns are the smallest tern species found in the western Pacific Ocean. These beautiful birds are identifiable by their small size, distinctive black cap, black stripes across the eyes, white forehead, light orange legs, light orange beak with a black tip, pale grey upper body, and white lower body. A typical least tern will live 6-10 years; however, some have been found to live as long as twenty. Biologists carefully monitor least tern nesting sites to track how populations are doing and collect data on the number of adults, nests, eggs, chicks, and fledglings each year. Some chicks are given a leg band that has colors and/or numbers that identify where it hatched so it can be identified if it’s spotted in the future. Special permits are needed to work with endangered species, including least terns, and biologists are trained to be as careful as possible when working with these tiny but mighty birds. San Diego Bay’s least tern colonies account for roughly 60% of all breeding pairs! Want to learn more about how we’re environmental stewards and manage the natural resources along San Diego Bay?

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