The Fairy Tern (Sterna nereis) is a small tern which occurs in the southwestern Pacific.

There are three subspecies:

• Australian Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis nereis - breeds in Australia
• New Caledonian Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis exsul - breeds in New Caledonia
• New Zealand Fairy Tern, Sterna nereis davisae - breeds in northern New Zealand

Formerly classified as a Species of Least Concern by the IUCN, recent research shows that its numbers are decreasing rapidly throughout its range; the New Zealand subspecies is on the brink of extinction since decades. The Fairy Tern is consequently uplisted to Vulnerable status in 2008.