Page 434 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

SKUAS, GULLS,AND TERNS
Family Sternidae Species Sterna bengalensis Family Sternidae Species Sterna fuscata
Lesser Crested Tern Sooty Tern
Large and elegant, like a slightly darker-backed A large black and white tern,the Sooty Tern is a tropical
Sandwich Tern (see p.218), the Lesser Crested has a bird, spending most of its time well out over the sea. It
grey rump (hard to see), black legs, and a long, slim, looks boldly pied,with a long and deeply forked tail,the
dagger-like, bright orange bill. In summer, it has a streamers tipped with a blob of white; feather textures
ragged black crest, in differ, causing slight variations in some lights.The
winter a white forehead has a deep, wide white patch that reaches to
forehead and crown. just above the eye. Young birds are dark above with
It is difficult to pale bars, and mostly very dark brown below.
separate in isolation from the OCCURRENCE Rare vagrant in summer and autumn;
Royal Tern which is bigger, breeds in Red Sea, Caribbean.
thicker-billed, and whiter- VOICE Mostly silent away from white forehead
rumped. Immatures have dark orange breeding areas.
bill
wing markings like a young
Common Gull ADULT
(see p.188), but
less bold than on deeply
a Royal Tern. forked tail
OCCURRENCE Occasional birds
in Sandwich Tern colonies in
summer, but a rare vagrant.
VOICE Loud, grating, ADULT
Sandwich Tern-like kirrik. (SUMMER)

Length 33–40cm (13–16in) Wingspan 76–82cm (30–32in) Length 42–45cm (16 1 ⁄2 –18in) Wingspan 72–80cm (28–32in)

Family Sternidae Species Sterna anaethetus Family Sternidae Species Sterna forsteri
Bridled Tern Forster’s Tern
Like the Sooty Tern, the Bridled Tern is a tropical Very like a Common Tern (see p.220),Forster’s has paler
seabird that looks very dark above and white below, wingtips (all frosty-white or pearly grey in winter) and
with a long,forked,white-edged,dark tail.Good views white underparts in summer. In winter, it shows a bold
reveal a contrast between the brownish grey back and blackish mask and a black bill (like the Gull-billed Tern,
black cap and wingtips; the white forehead tapers back see p.219); the bill is shorter than on a Sandwich Tern
into a point behind the eye. Care is required to rule (see p.218) and slimmer than a Gull-billed’s. Juveniles
out the larger, blacker Sooty Tern, which is also a rare have a black mask and dusky grey centres to the tertials.
vagrant in Europe. Juveniles are dark and barred above, The shape,size,and behaviour are much the same as for
paler below. the Common Tern.
white
OCCURRENCE Rare vagrant mostly in OCCURRENCE Rare vagrant to W Europe, mostly
over
late summer; breeds in Red Sea,W Africa. eye late autumn or winter, from North America.
VOICE Mostly silent. VOICE Mostly silent in winter.
brown back black ear patch
ADULT (WINTER)

forked, white-
edged, dark tail
ADULT

Length 37–42cm (14 1 ⁄2 –16 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 65–72cm (26–28in) Length 33–36cm (13–14in) Wingspan 64–70cm (25–28in)
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