Tiny Birds, Big Impact: California Least Terns at SAN

Every spring, as travelers prepare for summer adventures, another group of seasonal visitors arrives at San Diego International Airport (SAN). They’re not catching flights, they’re building nests.

The endangered California Least Tern, one of the smallest seabirds in North America, returns to SAN each year during nesting season, which runs from April through late summer. While aircraft take off and land nearby, these remarkable birds, with SAN’s help, find a safe place to raise the next generation on the airport’s airfield.

This year, three nests were established at SAN, with two fledgling chicks already roaming around the airfield. It’s an exciting milestone that highlights the airport’s ongoing commitment to protecting local wildlife while safely operating a single-runway airport.

Creating a Safe Haven

Long before the terns arrive each spring, SAN’s environmental team and wildlife biologists prepare specially designed nesting areas on the airfield. Nesting ovals are carefully maintained, protected, and monitored every year by our environmental staff and a team of biologists to encourage their return.

Because California Least Terns nest on open, sandy ground, these designated areas help mimic their natural habitat while keeping the birds protected from disturbances.

A Journey South

Once the chicks are strong enough to fly, they’ll begin an incredible journey to Baja California, where they spend the non-breeding season before returning to Southern California next spring.

For now, our newest feathered residents are taking their first steps toward that remarkable migration.