The little white tern (Gygis candida) is a small seabird found in Pacific Ocean. This species was previously considered as the white tern (Gygis alba), but is now recognised as a separate species.[1]
The little white tern was first formally described by the German ornithologist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in 1789. The species epithet is from Latin candidus (white). There are two recognized subspecies. Some authors have postulated that there may be three species of Gygis: Gygis alba, in the Atlantic Ocean, and Gygis candida and Gygis microrhyncha, both in the Pacific.
The little white tern has a shorter and more conical bill than the common white tern.
The little white tern ranges throughout the Pacific Ocean.