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Texas Terns (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter ednamex
- Start date
Steve Schoech
Well-known member
In addition to the aforementioned skimmers, there are royal, sandwhich, forster's, and common terns.
Perhaps the raptor is a juv. white-tailed hawk? The wing seems to extend beyond the tail which is consistent with WTH.
Perhaps the raptor is a juv. white-tailed hawk? The wing seems to extend beyond the tail which is consistent with WTH.
BuckeyeAZ
Just this bloke, you know
I speak as one mystified by the ID of Forster's tern in other than a) classic non-breeding plumage or b) hi-res photos showing the spread primaries, but, seeing as there's no classic non-breeders here... can I ask which of the four small terns at the front are you saying is/are Forster's and why?
Steve Schoech
Well-known member
I didn't know what else the one preening on the left foreground with the black-tipped orange bill (though it does seem a bit too heavy) and orangish legs could be
BuckeyeAZ
Just this bloke, you know
Looks OK for common tern - which means it also looks OK (to me) for Forster's.
The bird Steve is pointing out is in the bottom left of the first photo, and that bird is in full breeding plumage.
Forster's Terns in the upper Texas Gulf Coast, in full breeding plumage, show orange bills tipped with black. There
are other fieldmarks, but they aren't visible in this shot.
Carlos
Forster's Terns in the upper Texas Gulf Coast, in full breeding plumage, show orange bills tipped with black. There
are other fieldmarks, but they aren't visible in this shot.
Carlos
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Steve Schoech
Well-known member
Don't know why I missed that ... and the two others to its right
Agree on Forster's for the preening bird. Common has redder, slightly smaller bill, and may also show a dark gray breast at this time of year.
Think the bird suggested as a possible GBT is a Sandwich--bill looks slender and I think I see a pale tip. It's just in a different state of molt than the other birds. That's my best guess from these photos.
Best,
Jim
Think the bird suggested as a possible GBT is a Sandwich--bill looks slender and I think I see a pale tip. It's just in a different state of molt than the other birds. That's my best guess from these photos.
Best,
Jim
BuckeyeAZ
Just this bloke, you know
I don't think I see a pale tip, cos the tip is buried in feathers, preening. Probably Sandwich (bill is pretty slender). Ditto (quite likely) the two others to its right ( = our left).
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The one I, and I believe Andy, is referencing is to the right of the preening bird--it's the bird on the far right in the first photo. There's a preening bird to the left of it.
Steve Schoech
Well-known member
The caps on the three birds seem to extend down the nape which is consistent with gull-billed but not sandwich ... ?
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BuckeyeAZ
Just this bloke, you know
Pass. Maybe. (But you will have to lose that extra H in Sandwich). ;-)
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=San...hq=&hnear=Sandwich,+Kent,+United+Kingdom&z=13
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=San...hq=&hnear=Sandwich,+Kent,+United+Kingdom&z=13
lou salomon
the birdonist
1st pic:
- 11+ black skimmers
-5 forster's including the 3 2cy to the right of the preening adult in foreground, not so sure about the one upper left behind 2 skimmers
- black tern? (unsure) center background behind 2 skimmers
- 9 sandwich terns (including the discussed preening birds, bill much too long and slim for gull-billed)
- 4 royal terns
2nd pic:
- lots of black skimmers
- 1 black tern (4th bird from left, back row)
- 1 forster's tern? (foreground)
- 12 royal terns
- 5-7 sandwich terns
- arctic(?) or common tern, adult (4th bird from right upper row)
- 1 laughing gull (rightmost bird, upper row)
- 1 ad and 2 1st summer brown pelicans
(what a great congregation!)
BOP looks like a 2cy red-tailed hawk to me (not white tailed - #3
best,
- 11+ black skimmers
-5 forster's including the 3 2cy to the right of the preening adult in foreground, not so sure about the one upper left behind 2 skimmers
- black tern? (unsure) center background behind 2 skimmers
- 9 sandwich terns (including the discussed preening birds, bill much too long and slim for gull-billed)
- 4 royal terns
2nd pic:
- lots of black skimmers
- 1 black tern (4th bird from left, back row)
- 1 forster's tern? (foreground)
- 12 royal terns
- 5-7 sandwich terns
- arctic(?) or common tern, adult (4th bird from right upper row)
- 1 laughing gull (rightmost bird, upper row)
- 1 ad and 2 1st summer brown pelicans
(what a great congregation!)
BOP looks like a 2cy red-tailed hawk to me (not white tailed - #3
best,
BuckeyeAZ
Just this bloke, you know
Could you say why the 1-year-olds are Forster's?
lou salomon
the birdonist
because of the strong bills - slightly slimmer in common.
BuckeyeAZ
Just this bloke, you know
I have to say I'm surprised you're hanging it on that alone - in an image of this small size, and when proportions are foreshortened by the angle of view (and I wouldn't say they look stronger-billed than common anyway). Isn't there a lot of black on the head for 1-year-old Forster's?
LabradorDuck
Well-known member
Just by range I would expect Forster's rather than Common, though I don't know much about their migration timing or the summering habits of non-breeders. Texas is year-round range for Forster's Terns, but AFAIK neither wintering nor breeding range for Common.
