 Breeding evidence |
 Relative abundance |
 Probability of observation |
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Click on plot to view table of mean abundance
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Number of squares
Long-term BBS trends
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Mean abundance (number of birds detected per 5 min. point count) and percentage of squares occupied by region Bird Conservation Regions [abund. plot]
[%squares plot]
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Atlas Results
Atlas results coming soon
Note: During all years of the Saskatchewan Breeding Bird Atlas drought conditions persisted and the Atlas range maps for all waterfowl, waterbirds, and wetland-associated species should be viewed as characteristic of distribution and abundance during dry conditions. Read the full drought statement here.
Excerpts Adapted from the Birds of Saskatchewan:
Forster's Terns strong social ties facilitate rapid colonization of newly suitable nesting areas (McNicholl 1975), an important trait as many sites are ephemeral, with water levels and emergent vegetation varying from year to year. This species is restricted almost exclusively to North America, nesting in scattered locations across the continent, and wintering from the southern US through Mexico to northern Central America and irregularly in the Caribbean (McNicholl et al. 2001).
In contrast to the Common Tern, which prefers rocky or gravel-covered island locations, Forster's favours deep-water marshes for nesting and foraging (Smith 1996), ideally with sufficient shelter to protect nests from wave action (McNicholl et al. 2001). When not nesting, these terns frequent aquatic areas, primarily with relatively clear water.
The Forster's Tern is a fairly common but local summer resident of the parkland region and adjacent portions of the grassland and southern boreal regions (Smith 1996). Although Alvo and McNicholl (1996) listed 36 sites where the species had been seen in suitable breeding habitat during the summer, fewer than 20 breeding sites had been confirmed for the province by 2012. The transitory nature of many Saskatchewan colonies results in reduced nesting site tenacity (McNicholl 1975), making the long-term status of the species difficult to assess.
Original text by Martin K. McNicholl. Text adapted by Daniel J. Sawatzky
Read more about the Forster's Tern in the Birds of Saskatchewan here.
Recommended citation: Latremouille, L. M. 2025. Forster's Tern in Latremouille, L. M., S. L. Van Wilgenburg, C. B. Jardine, D. Lepage, A. R. Couturier, D. Evans, D. Iles, and K. L. Drake (eds.). 2025. The Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Saskatchewan, 2017-2021. Birds Canada. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan https://sk.birdatlas.ca/accounts/speciesaccount.jsp?sp=FOTE&lang=en [14 Nov 2025]
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