Common, Arctic or Comic tern help - UK Preston July 2017 (1 Viewer)

A

andrewslack

Well-known member

• Jul 21, 2017

• #1

Can anyone confidently ID this bird (the one standing on its own in one picture, and on the left in another picture). I attach also a definite (I think!) arctic tern and a definite common tern (on the right of the same picture) but this one bird I'm unsure of - it appears quite orangey on the bill and legs - nowhere near as blood red as the few arctics I've seen, however it has no black bill tip. There was another bird the same but I didn't get photos. I've noticed quite a variety in degree of black on the bill of Common Terns, but is this a common tern with a no-black bill (as I suspect) or an Arctic tern with a more orange than usual bill? They were all at Preston Marina on the 12th or 13th of July.

assistance and reasoning appreciated thanks!

Andrew

 

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Stuart Darbyshire

45th generation Northern

• Jul 21, 2017

• #2

The birds on the ground are both Commons - you're right about the colour. It's also fluffed up in the pics making the legs look shorter than they are. The flying bird is an Arctic

 

A

andrewslack

Well-known member

• Jul 21, 2017

• #3

Thanks. Is it unusual for them to have no black or is that fairly normal?

 

Stuart Darbyshire

45th generation Northern

• Jul 21, 2017

• #4

The amount of black does vary, but I noticed this individual the other day and thought it was fairly unusual

 

A

andrewslack

Well-known member

• Jul 21, 2017

• #5

Thanks

 

dantheman

Bah humbug

• Jul 21, 2017

• #6

Not a comic tern anyway - that's something else.

'Commic' tern would be the correct spelling.


(As an aside )

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Jul 21, 2017

• #7

dantheman said:

'Commic' tern would be the correct spelling.


(As an aside )

Click to expand...

But, why? As it's half-and-half, it ought to be Common / Arctic, = 'Comtic' Tern (or, perhaps, 'Arcmon' Tern) 8-P

 

dantheman

Bah humbug

• Jul 21, 2017

• #8

Nutcracker said:

But, why? As it's half-and-half, it ought to be Common / Arctic, = 'Comtic' Tern (or, perhaps, 'Arcmon' Tern) 8-P

Click to expand...

Mostly because that's the traditional spelling in county bird reports, websites such as Portland Bird Observatory etc etc

(But they also sound naff)



I was going to put a 'pedants alert' on my original post above, but didn't. Shall we share it, or do you want it all for yourself?

:cat:

 

Nutcracker

Stop Brexit!

• Jul 22, 2017

• #9

dantheman said:

I was going to put a 'pedants alert' on my original post above, but didn't. Shall we share it, or do you want it all for yourself?

Click to expand...

Share :king: