Page 225 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

SKUAS, GULLS,AND TERNS
Order Charadriiformes Family Sternidae Species Sterna caspia
Caspian Tern bold black cap with
white flecks, slightly
ragged at rear

blackish under grey upperparts
wingtips

red bill
with black
marks
near tip
ADULT
(SUMMER)
long black
legs
IN FLIGHT
square head
and thick
neck

JUVENILE
dark-edged ADULT (AUTUMN)
tail feathers
ADULT cap streaked
(AUTUMN) with white
he biggest of the terns, with dull bill
Ta big, red bill, the Caspian Tern is
a splendid and handsome bird, but is scarce
almost everywhere.While its size is usually evident, it FLIGHT: strong, powerful, easy, with slow, steady,
is so well-proportioned that the big bill and relatively sweeping wingbeats.
bulky build, for a tern, may not immediately catch STRIKING TERN
the eye.Against other terns it looks enormous, but In summer, the black cap and vivid
while standing with big gulls, it looks lower but red bill are eye-catching on this
longer. In flight, the angular wings and large dark giant tern.
area under the wingtips can even create a miniature
Gannet-like effect at times. It typically flies steadily
over water, head angled down, looking for fish.
VOICE Deep, explosive kree-ahk; very noisy at
breeding colony.
NESTING Shallow scrape on ground in sand or
shingle; 2 or 3 eggs; 1 brood; May–June.
FEEDING Plunges for fish; may fly long distances
from colony to feed.
SIMILAR SPECIES
OCCURRENCE
SANDWICH TERN longer COMMON TERN Most breed in Baltic Sea on low
slimmer see p.218 tail see p.220
bill islands and coasts. Rare migrant in
E Europe and Mediterranean, rarer
still in Atlantic and North Sea.
thin Usually coastal, very rare on lakes
black bill smaller
and reservoirs inland.
ROYAL TERN smaller and short red
paler under wingtips slimmer Seen in the UK
in flight; see p.431 legs JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 48–55cm (19–22in) Wingspan 0.96–1.11m (3–3 3 ⁄4ft) Weight 200–250g (7–9oz)
Social Flocks Lifespan Up to 10 years Status Endangered†
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