Little Tern (Sternula albifrons)
Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus)
White forehead with white wedge above eye in all plumages. Legs, and most of bill yellow in adult breeding plumage. Very small and longwinged tern. Only 2/3 of size of Common Tern. Head and bill proportionally longer than Chlidonias species and congeners, while tail is shorter. Back paler grey and belly whiter. First primaries form a dark front edge to wing. In winter the bill darkens, legs turn a dirty yellow and the white forehead expands. Juvenile resembles adult winter, but has yellowish bill base and scale patterned back. Flight fluttering with rapid wing-beats, which together with size, is usually sufficient to determine the species.
Sound:Fairly distinct voice. Contact call a sharp "kitt", often combined to form undulating, rolling series. Not as sharp and penetrating as Common- and Arctic Tern.
Contact call:
Distribution:
Xeno-canto: map
Ecology:Birdlife ecology
Links:
Observation.org Latest observations
Image search Flickr NB! May give other species
CCVariable plumage, but not as varied as Buzzard. Prominent black carpal patches and broad black terminal band on tail in all plumages. Upperparts dark and speckled, underparts pale. Head is paler than back, and base of bill paler still. Conspicuous white base of tail, and upperside of tail contrasts with the dark back. Female with big black belly patch, and one broad terminal band on tail. In males the belly patch this is less prominent, and the tail has 1-2 narrow bands in addition to the terminal one. Only other raptor with white tail and broad terminal band in the area is young Golden Eagles. These can be identified by size, and by showing 6 fingers, not 5 as in Buteo (Buzzards). Soars with slightly more raised wings than Buzzard.
Sound:Most typical call a wailing, mewing "peeoooo". Quite similar to Buzzard, but the pitch falls more evenly throughout the whole call.
Alarm 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