Terns
| 64. Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia). L. 21. T. 6., forked 1.5. Largest of our Terns. Ads., breeding. Bill red; cap black; above pearl; below-white; primaries frosty black. After breeding, crown streaked black and white; bill more orange. Yng. Similar to last but wings and tail with blackish. Notes. A loud, harsh "kay-awk" or "key-rak." Range.—Cosmopolitan; breeds in North America, locally from Texas to Newfoundland and Great Slave Lake; winters mostly south of United States; three California winter records. 65. Royal Tern (Sterna maxima). L. 19; T. 7, forked 3.5; B. 2.5. Ads., summer. Primaries frosty black, white on inner two-thirds of inner web except at tip, where frosty; bill orange red; crown black; above pearl; below white. Ads., winter. The same, but head white with black streaks. Yng. Similar to winter ad. but wings and tail with grayish. Range.—Middle America; breeds from southern Brazil and Peru to Gulf States, Virginia, and California; wanders north to Great Lakes and Massachusetts; winters from Gulf States and California southward. 66. Elegant Tern (Sterna elegans). L. 16.5; B. 2.7. Similar to [No. 65], but smaller; bill longer and more slender. Ads. Tinged with shell pink below. Range.—"Pacific coast of America from California to Chili." (A. O. U.) 67. Cabot Tern (Sterna sandvicensis acuflavida). L. 16; T. 5.5, forked 2.7. Ads., breeding. Bill black, the tip yellow; crown black; above pearl; below white; primaries much as in No. 65. After breeding, head white; nape with black streaks. Yng. Similar to last but with back and tail with blackish; tip of bill less yellow. Range.—Tropical America; breeds on east side of Mexico north along Gulf Coast to Florida, and Atlantic coast to South Carolina; wanders to Massachusetts; winters south of United States to West Indies and Central America. |
| 63. Gull-billed Tern (Gelochelidon nilotica). L. 14.5; T. 5.5. Ads., summer. Bill thick, short, black; tail short, forked only 1.5; crown black; above pearl; below white. Ads., winter. Head white, with black patch before and behind eye. Yng. Similar, but above edged with buffy; head and neck streaked with grayish. Notes. A high, thin, somewhat reedy tee-tee-tee, sometimes suggesting a weak-voiced katydid. Range.—Cosmopolitan; breeds in North America from Mexico to Florida and north to Virginia; wanders north rarely to New Brunswick; winters from southern Texas southward. 73. Aleutian Tern (Sterna aleutica). L. 14. T. 6.7, forked 3. Ads., summer. Above and below pearl gray, browner below; throat white; crown black; forehead white; line from bill to eye black. Ads., winter. "With rather more white on forehead." (Cat. B. M.) Notes. "A thin, clear, trilling whistle." (Nelson.) Range.—Alaska from Kadiak to Bering Strait, southwest to Japan. 74. Least Tern (Sterna antillarum). L. 9; T. 3.5, forked 1.7. Ads., summer. Bill yellow, black at tip; forehead white; a black line from bill to eye; crown black; above pearl; below white. Ads., winter. Crown white; nape black; bill dark; tail shorter. Yng. Similar to last, but above with buffy or brownish. Notes. "A sharp squeak much like the cry of a very young pig following its mother." Range.—Western hemisphere; breeds locally from northern South America northward to Massachusetts, Dakota, and southern California; winters south of United States. 76. Bridled Tern (Sterna anæthetus). L. 15. Ads. Forehead and line over eye white; lores and crown black; nape whitish; back sooty gray or sooty brown; outer tail feathers white, except at tip; inner ones grayish brown. Notes. A soft qua. Range.—Tropical regions; north in Atlantic to the Bahamas; casual in Florida. |
| 69. Forster Tern (Sterna forsteri). L. 15; T. 7, forked. 4. Ads., summer. Inner web of outer tail feather dusky; below pure white; bill orange, blackish at end; crown black; back pearl. Ads., winter. Crown white or grayish; a large black spot about eyes; bill black. Yng. Similar to winter ad. but above with brownish. Notes. A long drawn, deep, reedy cack and tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet. Range.—North America; breeds locally north to California, and from Texas along coast to Virginia and in interior to Manitoba; wanders to Massachusetts; winters from southern California and Texas south to Brazil. 70. Common Tern (Sterna hirundo). L. 15; T. 5.5, forked, 3.2 Ads., summer. Outer web of outer tail feather dusky; below white, washed with dusky; bill red, blackish at end; crown black; back pearl. Ads., winter. Forehead and underparts white; bill black. Yng. Similar to last, but above with brownish; tail shorter. Notes. A vibrant, purring, tearrr, and other calls. Range.—Northern hemisphere; in America, chiefly east of Plains; breeds locally on coast and in interior from Gulf States to Barren Grounds and Greenland; winters south of United States to Brazil. 71. Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisæa). L. 15.5; T. 7.2 forked 4.5. Similar to [No. 70], but summer ad. with bill wholly bright red; tail longer; tarsus shorter, .6 instead of .7. Notes. Like tearr of No. 70, but shriller, ending in rising inflection, like squeal of a pig. (Brewster.) Range.—Northern hemisphere; breeds from Massachusetts north to Greenland and northwest to Aleutian Islands and Alaska; winters south to California and Virginia. 72. Roseate Tern (Sterna dougalli). L. 15.5; T. 7.5, forked, 5.2. Ads., summer. Bill black, reddish only at the base; below white tinged with shell pink; tail wholly white; crown black; back pearl. Ads., winter. Forehead with white; no pink below. Notes. A reedy cack. Range.—Temperate and tropical regions; breeds in North America on east coast only, from Florida north to Nova Scotia; rare north of Virginia; winters south of United States to Venezuela. |
Terns and Skimmer
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75. Sooty Tern (Sterna fuliginosa). L. 17. Ads.,
summer. Above blackish, forehead and underparts
white; tail black, except outer feathers which are
mostly white. Yng. Sooty slate; linings of wings
white; scapulars, upper tail coverts, and tail feathers
tipped with white. Notes. A squeaky quack, a nasal
ker-wacky-wak, and other calls.
Range.—"Tropical and subtropical coasts of the globe. In America
from Chili to western Mexico and the Carolinas, and casually to
New England." (A. O. U.)
77. Black Tern (Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis).
L. 10. Ads., summer. Head and underparts black;
back, wings, and tail slate. Ads., winter. Forehead,
nape, and underparts white; head gray. Yng. Similar
to last, but above with brownish margins. Notes.
A sharp peek.
Range.—Temperate and tropical America; breeds in interior from
California, Kansas, and Illinois to Alaska; irregular migrant on Atlantic
coast from New Brunswick southward; winters south of United
States to Chili.
79. Noddy (Anous stolidus). L. 15. Ads. Crown
silvery white; rest of plumage sooty brown. Yng. Similar,
but all sooty brown except white line from bill to
eye. Notes. A low reedy cack increasing to a hoarse,
guttural k-r-r-r-r-r-r-r.
Range.—"Tropical and subtropical regions; in America from Brazil
and Chili north to the Gulf and South Atlantic States." (A. O. U.)
80. Black Skimmer (Rynchops nigra). L. 18. Ads.
Lower mandible longer than upper; forehead, underparts,
part of secondaries, and tail white; rest of plumage
black. Yng. Plumage widely margined with
buffy. Notes. Varied, nasal, penny-trumpet-like;
also ca-you, ca-you, like a hound's voice.
Range.—North America, chiefly eastern; breeds from southern
New Jersey southward; wanders rarely to Nova Scotia; winters from
Gulf States to northern South America. |