Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)
Red-billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)
Very large tern, with deep, dagger-like, blood-red bill with dark tip. Large, black cap reaching well below the eyes. Grey upperparts and white underparts. Rather short tail. Outer primaries distinctly darker than the rest of upperwing, and outer underwing almost black. Unmistakable from the size alone, and leaves a gull-like impression, lacking the elegance of smaller terns. Immatures with paler bill and white forehead (as in adult winter), and markedly speckled back. Hovers and dives. Often rests on the surface, feeding like a gull.
Sound:Easily recognized by its very harsh calls. Sometimes likened to the sound of a plate of steel being dragged across a concrete floor. Similar in harshness to Grey Heron, but more drawn, with an accented middle; "Kraaeeet", or with a double syllable start "ka-ha-kraaaeet". Immature birds begs with a penetrating, sharp whistle.
Contact call:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCCC-photo:lgooch, Licence,Link.
All black plumage, red legs and long, curved, red bill. Bill of juveniles yellowish-brown and shorter. Though never as pure yellow as in Alpine Chough, and more curved. Easily confused with Alpine Chough at a distance where both species occur, but note broader, more fingered wings, shorter and squarer tail with broader base and different calls. Flight extremely acrobatic.
Sound:Call: A rapidly descending "keeaaaw", sometimes resembling a coarse jackdaw. At other times a more mewing sound, with similar coarseness, or a sharper, descending "kieew". Easily distinguished from the thin, trilling, whistling sounds of Alpine Chough.
Contact call:
Distribution:
Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CC