Appearance:

Description of main identification features in chosen species' appearance.  Some bird anatomy terms are used, and it may be useful to study the photos above to learn them. All text written by Audun Eriksen.

Sound:

Description of song and calls, and what to listen for in the audio files, and when learning the species. Some music terminology is used. Timbre: tone colour or tone quality. Ritardando: Tempo slowing down gradually. Register break: abrupt change in pitch due to sudden jump in resonating length of throat (typically in long-necked birds).

Distribution:

Link to distribution maps

Ecology:

Link to webpage describing ecology and population of the species.

Links:

A collection of hyperlinks for each species can be found here. You can easily see latest observations, additional photos/sounds and watch videos of the species without having to search for the species name.

CC

Creative Commons licenced photos and sounds are listed here with links. For media not listed, usage is permitted by direct appointment with copyright owner. See watermark on photos.

Appearance:

Differs from Common and Arctic Tern by; noticably shorter wings, longer streamers, much paler grey upperparts, pure white underparts (faint rosy wash not very conspicuous), black bill (red base in breeding birds), dark outer primaries and no dark edge to inner primaries. Amount of red in bill increases as breeding season progresses, but also varies geographically. Wingbeats shallower and much quicker than in Common and Arctic Tern. Fishes with characteristic diagonal dives. Despite the long streamers, the birds appear short-tailed in flight, but head and bill are long and slender. The pale plumage, dark bill and giss recalls a small Sandwich Tern. Adult winter plumage with all dark bill and white forehead. Juveniles resembles juvenile Sandwich Terns, with more complete dark cap than Arctic and Common, and much more contrasting markings on back (especially to wings).

Sound:

Extremely harsh calls. Like mix of Caspian and Arctic Tern. Very hard and raspy "kreeeet", harder and higher pitched than Caspian Tern, but equally harsh. Other calls include more Arctic/Common tern-like short "kek", and similar.

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:USFWS/Southeast, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Werner Witte, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Anita363, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Mike Prince, Licence,Link.