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Common Tern ssp. longipennis?, Turkey (1 Viewer)

oskarn

oskarn

Member
Hi,
I wonder weather it's possible to ID a Common Tern as a longipennis in Turkey? I've read about black-billed terns that use to visit southern Turkey but this was more than black-billed. It had the darker body with a clear white cheek as well as a more arctic-like underside of the wings and a more stout appearance. The upperside was also clearly darker than hirundo, which it was seen with. The bill was all black.

How do you seperate dark minussensis from longipennis? For example this minussensis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandmanindubai/4591080213/

//Oskar

Attach photos of the Turkey-bird
 

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Black bills are not that uncommon in Western Birds, but as you say this appears to have other features too. If this was in the Red Sea, you might even be considering White-cheeked Tern!
 
oskarn said:
Hi,
I wonder weather it's possible to ID a Common Tern as a longipennis in Turkey? I've read about black-billed terns that use to visit southern Turkey but this was more than black-billed. It had the darker body with a clear white cheek as well as a more arctic-like underside of the wings and a more stout appearance. The upperside was also clearly darker than hirundo, which it was seen with. The bill was all black.

How do you seperate dark minussensis from longipennis? For example this minussensis:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandmanindubai/4591080213/

//Oskar

Attach photos of the Turkey-bird
Click to expand...

What can be seen looks consistent with longipennis, but unfortunately the pics aren't really clear enough to offer anything conclusive. This is what adult longipennis CTs in Malaysia are looking like right now.
 
oskarn said:
I will upload a (bad) video later on the bird. I forgot the very dark reddish legs visible on the Turkey bird. Dave, you who are used to these creatures. What differs between your longipennis and the (IDed) minussensis here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandmanindubai/4591080213/ ?
Click to expand...

Hi Oskar

I've not seen minussensis. Your photographed birds look darker-billed than I was expecting. Out of interest, how did the putative longipennis differ from these?

Here we see only longipennis and tibetana, and the two are easily differentiated in breeding plumage by bill colour, and by the more orange-red legs of the latter. Longipennis looks a heavier, larger-billed bird compared with tibetana.
 
Thanks JanJ, I've read them! But my question still remains. Is it possible to ID a bird that completely looks like a longipennis in Turkey or can other forms show all the characters? (at least I can't find the answer on your links)
Dave, just for clarification, the minussensis is not mine. I found it on the web. I would say that the Turkey bird that we saw was identical to the longipennis pic you posted, but still identical to the "minussensis" too. I still can't see what differs between them?
 
oskarn said:
Okey, since I can't find any character pointing away from longipennis this is my conclusion. A movie (with some pictures at the beginning) is uploaded to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktlIwaoMnA8. Thanks for the links and help
//Oskar
Click to expand...

Hi Oskar

Aside from bare part colour, I'm not sure what else to go on. And to be sure of the bill colour, you'd need pretty close views, as dark red at the base is not easily visible.

My understanding is that 'minussensis' has field characters intermediate between 'tibetana' and longipennis' and may not even represent a valid race.

And Andy, even as I typed I wondered how long before someone would bring that up!

Dave
 
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