Appearance:

Unmistakable in breeding plumage, but otherwise easily confused with other marsh terns. Breeding plumage with black head and belly, but pale underwing and grey rump. When in immature and winter plumage it differs from Common and Arctic tern by smaller size and short, moderately forked tail, and from other marsh terns by slimmer body and wings (compared to White-winged tern), and relatively long, thin bill. Both immature and adult winter show dark front edge of wing, and characteristic dark shoulder patch at wing base. Back is dark in immature birds. Grey rump in all plumages. Flight usually different from Sterna-terns, with erratic dives for no apparent reason, and "aimless" change of direction. Note that when foraging over saltwater, flight becomes more Sterna-like.

Sound:

Moderately vocal. Flight call a more or less clear "kleck, or a disyllabic "klee-ake" with accented first syllable. Sometimes slightly rolling "klirr-eke", but never as much as in White-winged Tern. Also a slightly harsher "kreek", but not as raspy as in Whiskered Tern.

Flight 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

Featherbase

CC

CC-sound:Ad Postma, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Orange legs, black and orange bill. Differs from juvenile White-fronted Goose by less contrast between cheeks and base of bill and crown, more prominent pale edges on back feathers, and by bill colour. Has much darker back than Pink-footed Goose (and never greyish). Colour of legs and bill can be surprisingly difficult to judge in unfavourable light. 2 subspecies that may be considered separate species in near future: A.f.rossicus has shorter bill with more extensive black markings than A.f.fabalis.

Sound:

Do not call as much as other grey geese. Sounds similar to the lower sounds of Pink-footed goose, with various reedy calls, but harder, less nasal and more of a "sore throat".

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

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Jens Kirkeby, http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license