July Tern

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Posted by Steven Mlodinow (152.163.197.84) on July 15, 2000 at 18:19:49:

Greetings All

I believe the tern to be an Arctic. I think the bill does look petite. The bird is juv., yet the carpal bar is faint to absent, unlike that of a juv Common. Also, the folded primaries look awfully pale for a juv Common, though this trait is variable, I believe. Furthermore, juv Commons with this little back/wing marking typically have less black on the head/nape, while Arctics in this plumage have head markings similar to the quiz bird. I am unable to judge the leg length in this photo. The bill does seem to have an awful lot of red in it, and that DOES seem odd for an Arctic. So, I go with Arctic on this bird, but I don't think that I can confidently eliminate the potential hybrid angle, and Joe has been known for his occasional (and interesting) tricks.

Cheers
Steve Mlodinow

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: Greetings All : I believe the tern to be an Arctic. I think the bill does look petite. The bird is juv., yet the carpal bar is faint to absent, unlike that of a juv Common. Also, the folded primaries look awfully pale for a juv Common, though this trait is variable, I believe. Furthermore, juv Commons with this little back/wing marking typically have less black on the head/nape, while Arctics in this plumage have head markings similar to the quiz bird. I am unable to judge the leg length in this photo. The bill does seem to have an awful lot of red in it, and that DOES seem odd for an Arctic. So, I go with Arctic on this bird, but I don't think that I can confidently eliminate the potential hybrid angle, and Joe has been known for his occasional (and interesting) tricks. : Cheers : Steve Mlodinow

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