There are several varieties of terns, and a very pretty and lively one is called the least tern. It did not get this name because there are so few of them, but because it is the smallest, being only ten inches long. It is not a songbird like a robin or a meadowlark, but it does have some distinctive chirping calls of its own.
How pretty they are with smooth, white feathers over the entire lower parts of their bodies, heads and throats. This is beautifully contrasted with gray upper feathers and their gray forked tail feathers outlined in black. The tops of their heads are coal black, and the long, sharp beaks, legs and feet are yellow, with a black tip to their bills.
Favorite nesting places are along the western coast of the United States beginning in southern California and down into Mexico, and also all along the Atlantic coast of the United States from Maine to Texas. They nest in colonies of 10 to 200 pairs along flat ocean beaches and also beside streams. Shallow nests are scooped out of the sand, and sand-colored eggs produce cute speckled chicks — all well camouflaged. The chicks are cared for by both parents for several months. In the fall they migrate south. Where they go is not known, but the South American Pacific coast is their likely wintering grounds. They return north to the same nesting spot in the spring.
Feathers of these birds used to be in demand for decorating women’s hats. Hundreds of thousands of these lovely birds were killed for that purpose. But we are happy that killing the least tern is no longer allowed, so their numbers are increasing. However, enemies such as foxes, owls and other birds, feral cats and even some people still kill many of them.
When waters are smooth, a tern flies swiftly, close to the surface, with its lower beak open. When it spots a fish of the right size, it scoops it up. Other food includes flies, beetles and sand hoppers, many of which they catch in midair.
The little “least tern” isn’t a very well-known bird, even today. But they were used and almost destroyed because people wanted something out of them. Sometimes people can feel like this — not very well-known, but used and even destroyed because of something someone else can get out of them. They may feel like no one knows what they are going through and that no one cares. But that isn’t true. God knows, and God cares. His Word tells us that He sees even when a little sparrow falls to the ground. How much more He cares about you and me, who are made in His image! He says, “Fear ... not therefore, [you] are of more value than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:3131Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:31)).
Did You Know?
The least tern’s diet includes small fish, flies, beetles and sand hoppers.
Messages of God’s Love 9/10/2023