Knysna, South Africa (1 Viewer)

[Deb335077]

A few more from Knysna,
1. I know the left hand cormorant will be White Breasted but what about the other 2 in the shot

Thank you
Debbie

 

[Butty]

1, 3. Dark ones are Cape cormorant. Yellow chin, thin bill, no crest.
2. I guess lesser crested tern.

 

[THE_FERN]

1, 3. Dark ones are Cape cormorant. Yellow chin, thin bill, no crest.
2. I guess lesser crested tern.

Difficult to tell but the tern's bill looks yellow which would make it greater.

 

[MacNara]

Difficult to tell but the tern's bill looks yellow which would make it greater.

I think the bill is reddish-orange not yellow. But hmmm.

 

[Butty]

Yellow, in shade.

 

[THE_FERN]

I think the bill is reddish-orange not yellow. But hmmm.

View attachment 1475277

Well with this brightened image it looks better (structurally too, I think) for lesser. I compare with this for example:

ML80641541 Lesser Crested Tern Macaulay Library

 

[Deb335077]

Thank you for you help

 

[MacNara]

Difficult to tell but the tern's bill looks yellow which would make it greater.

Well with this brightened image it looks better (structurally too, I think) for lesser. I compare with this for example:

ML80641541 Lesser Crested Tern Macaulay Library

Yellow, in shade.

So...Medium Tern then???

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Not calling it either way, but a warning that Crested Tern's bills can look alarmingly orange sometimes, even in the field, let alone in photos.

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

Greater Crested Tern. Beak is yellow (adding saturation makes it orange, but makes legs deep red too... not the real colour) and curved shape of mandible excludes Lesser Crested (rare in Knysna while Greated Crested / Swift is abundant there).

 

[THE_FERN]

Greater Crested Tern. Beak is yellow (adding saturation makes it orange, but makes legs deep red too... not the real colour) and curved shape of mandible excludes Lesser Crested (rare in Knysna while Greated Crested / Swift is abundant there).

Well I'm back on the fence. This headline image from Macauley / ebird shows a lesser-crested with a similar bill. I do take the point about the colours but I think they're difficult to interpret in this image because of the ambient light:

ML66335721 Lesser Crested Tern Macaulay Library

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

Well I'm back on the fence. This headline image from Macauley / ebird shows a lesser-crested with a similar bill. I do take the point about the colours but I think they're difficult to interpret in this image because of the ambient light:

ML66335721 Lesser Crested Tern Macaulay Library

OK, then I give you another detail. Look and the collar effect due to grey stripes on the side of neck. this is typical of young Great Crested Tern, and Lesser Crested Tern doens't show this detail AFAIK. Exemple here.

 

[Deb335077]

Does this image make in any easier
Debbie

 

[THE_FERN]

OK, then I give you another detail. Look and the collar effect due to grey stripes on the side of neck. this is typical of young Great Crested Tern, and Lesser Crested Tern doens't show this detail AFAIK. Exemple here.

Thanks. That's convincing. It's not mentioned in BoW

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

Thanks. That's convincing. It's not mentioned in BoW

Fortunately, litterature doesn't say everything, so field experience is still useful !

 

[THE_FERN]

Fortunately, litterature doesn't say everything, so field experience is still useful !

Well Opus does now...

 

[Deb335077]

So, it is a great crested tern?
Thank you for all your help
Debbie 😁

 

[Valéry Schollaert]

So, it is a great crested tern?
Thank you for all your help
Debbie 😁

yes it is, you are welcome

 

[Butty]

Does this image make in any easier

It's always best if you give all the available photos and information right at the outset.