Forster's Tern (Sterna forsteri)Where and when to see it in the UK
Scarce migrant · reporting peaks August · Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls · BOU category A
Too few records to rate squares by month. Each marked square has at least one record; the table below gives the count and years.
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Forster's Tern has been recorded in 17 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (1%) in records to 2026. Scarce migrant in the UK. Reporting peaks in August.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red ListRecords by 10 km square
| Square | Where | Records | Years | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SZ08 | Dorset, England | 16 | 2023 to 2026 | unverified |
| SZ09 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, England | 8 | 2026 | unverified |
| SY98 | Dorset, England | 205 | 2023 to 2025 | unverified |
| SD34 | Lancashire, England | 1 | 2025 | unverified |
| SY99 | Dorset, England | 27 | 2023 to 2024 | unverified |
| ST51 | Somerset, England | 10 | 2023 | unverified |
| SZ19 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, England | 2 | 2023 | unverified |
| TM13 | Suffolk, England | 26 | 2016 | unverified |
| TR13 | Kent, England | 4 | 2016 | unverified |
| TR23 | Kent, England | 2 | 2016 | unverified |
| J54 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 1 | 2008 | unverified |
| J55 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | 1 | 2008 | unverified |
| NM82 | Argyll and Bute, Scotland | 3 | 2003 | unverified |
| NM83 | Argyll and Bute, Scotland | 1 | 2003 | unverified |
| SW53 | Cornwall, England | 6 | 2002 | unverified |
| SH57 | Isle of Anglesey, Wales | 11 | 2000 | unverified |
| TL91 | Essex, England | 8 | 2000 | unverified |