Appearance:

Large tern with black bill, with yellow tip (adults). Bill all black in juveniles. Long black cap and shaggy crest. Generally leaves a much whiter impression than other terns in the region (except Roseate Tern). Adult summer: Yellow bill-tip. Tail pure white, and upperparts pale grey. Outer primaries darker than rest of wing, and contrast increases in worn plumage. Broad white trailing edge to inner wing. Underside of primaries with faint narrow dark trailing edge. Forehead white in adult winter and first winter plumage. Juveniles: scaly upperparts and dark bill. Less evenly coloured than juvenile Gull-billed Tern. First winter birds similar to juveniles, but back purer grey and bill shorter. Can be mistaken for Gull-billed Tern, but note different profile. Flight powerful with evenly narrow wings and a front-heavy appearance, due to the long head and bill. Often dives from high above the surface and stays under water longer than Common and Arctic T.

Sound:

Contact call a sharp and grating "keeree-eek". Often compared to the pressing of amalgam into a tooth.

Contact call:

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

CC-photo:Paul:Ritchie, Licence,Link.

CC-sound:Peter Boesman, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Small and compact, brown warbler with strong supercilium and streaked back. Crown dark with faint streaking, contrasting with broad supercilium. Rump unstreaked and warmer brown than back and tail. Juveniles with faintly streaked chest. Long primary projection. Body shorter and more compact than Reed Warbler. Easiest Achrocephalus to see in the region. Often sings from exposed branch or reed, is inquisitive and not very shy.

Sound:

Alarm call a hard "check". Anxiety call a dry and rolling "rrrrr". Song vigorous and varied. A mixture of musical sounds, expert mimicry and characteristic harsh and strident calls. Not as rhythmic and evenly paced as Reed Warbler, but varies tempo a lot.

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