The Aleutian Tern breeds along coasts and islands of the northern North Pacific and catches small fish and crustaceans in summer.
It has a gray body, a black bill, and a sharp white patch on the forehead.
Aleutian Terns breed along the coasts of the Russian Far East and Alaska. They may nest among other tern species on low-vegetation shores and islands. Researchers surveyed three large colonies on Sakhalin Island in 2018 and one Alaskan colony in 2019, estimating birds and nests from aerial photographs.
The four colonies together held fewer than 2,500 pairs in the survey years. Statistical samples of low-altitude photographs produced repeatable estimates for colonies too large to photograph or count in full. These sites were selected because they were considered among the largest known breeding colonies for the species.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Four Aleutian Tern colonies surveyed in 2018–2019 supported fewer than 2,500 pairs in those years. Sampled low-altitude photographs provided repeatable abundance estimates for large colonies.