Appearance:

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

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

CC-photo:lgooch, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Muchaxo, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:ajmatthehiddenhouse, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Large, fairly characteristic lark. Wings blackish underneath with conspicuous white trailing edge, obvious in flight. Outer tail-feathers white. Perched birds easiest identified by large black breast patch (though variable in size and shape), and very deep bill. Broad, buff supercilium and eye-ring. Leaves a robust and compact impression, with its broad wings, short tail and heavy bill. Stance usually upright when perched. Flight undulating, but less hesitant than Skylark.

Sound:

Contact call a diagnostic, ringing, resonant trill; "krrretlee". Song is similar to Skylark, but slower, louder and with more mimicry. Best recognized from the interspersed contact calls and other dry trills.

Song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC