Large orange-billed tern - Walvis Bay, Namibia (1 Viewer)

[Keanumrc]

Hi all

A friend of mine recently photographed a large orange-billed tern in Walvis Bay, Namibia. It was subsequently identified as a Lesser Crested Tern by a local expert. However, surely the bill is too heavy and the bird too big in comparison to the surrounding Common Terns, for it to be Lesser Crested? What about Royal Tern instead? Perhaps international birders with experience with these two species could help out?

Thank you!

Keanu

 

[Nutcracker]

The extensively white head fits winter plumage Royal better; L-c retains a bit more black.

Whether African Royal or American Royal . . . . dunno!

 

[SJC]

Yes it does look too big which would suggest Royal Tern

 

[AlinoVegano]

look big enough for Royal, but the mantle is so dark, for both American and African!

 

[njlarsen]

The photo quality is not great. I am looking at the two birds behind the Orange-billed tern, and it seems that every shadow has deepened to pitch black. As such, I would not trust the tone on the back of the bird in question to reflect what it really looked like.

Niels

 

[THE_FERN]

It's not royal for me. As well as the dark back feathers, I'd expect more of a gonydeal angle mid-way along the bill if it were royal (although my experience is with American royal, not African)

 

[AlinoVegano]

It's not royal for me. As well as the dark back feathers, I'd expect more of a gonydeal angle mid-way along the bill if it were royal (although my experience is with American royal, not African)

African is called "albidorsalis", means white back...

 

[Keanumrc]

Thanks for the quick replies!

The bird was apparently preening and ruffling its feathers so maybe that's the cause of the dark blotches on its mantle?

 

[THE_FERN]

A quick Google of the possibilities will show that the mantle of this bird is significantly darker than expected for royal. You might think this is some kind of artefact as Niels suggests. Personally, I don't see the colours of the other birds pictured as especially distorted and so don't think this applies. I'm also happy to understand the darker blotches as either darker individual feathers or as shadows underneath raised feathers. The point about the bill is that it appears to taper smoothly to a point : for royal expect more of a "step" part way along.

 

[AlinoVegano]

A quick Google of the possibilities will show that the mantle of this bird is significantly darker than expected for royal. You might think this is some kind of artefact as Niels suggests. Personally, I don't see the colours of the other birds pictured as especially distorted and so don't think this applies. I'm also happy to understand the darker blotches as either darker individual feathers or as shadows underneath raised feathers. The point about the bill is that it appears to taper smoothly to a point : for royal expect more of a "step" part way along.

The problem is... what else? Bill looks very big, not like Lesser Crested. Swift / Great Crested ? That would explain long, curved bill and dark mantle...

 

[Nutcracker]

The problem is... what else? Bill looks very big, not like Lesser Crested. Swift / Great Crested ? That would explain long, curved bill and dark mantle...

Trouble is, that has a green bill, not orange . . .

 

[pete wragg]

it's probably not identifiable from that pic,
but it does have a look of Elegant tern about it.

 

[AlinoVegano]

Trouble is, that has a green bill, not orange . . .

I've seen many groups of Swifts with Lesser Crested together, and the difference in colour can be hard to see. I wouldn't rely on that on a single poor photo.

 

[AlinoVegano]

Interestingly, there is here a bird identified as Greater Crested Tern... with a orange bill in Namibia.

http://www.realbirder.com/NamibiaD/Birds/Swift(GreatCrested)Tern.jpg

A new "orange-billed swift" Tern endemic to Africa???? :king: o

 

[Nutcracker]

Interestingly, there is here a bird identified as Greater Crested Tern... with a orange bill in Namibia.

http://www.realbirder.com/NamibiaD/Birds/Swift(GreatCrested)Tern.jpg

A new "orange-billed swift" Tern endemic to Africa???? :king: o

Or hybrid between Royal and Greater Crested? Don't appear to be many barriers to hybridisation in Thalasseus terns when they can't find the right partner . . .

Could it even be the same individual as Keanu's bird??

 

[AlinoVegano]

Or hybrid between Royal and Greater Crested? Don't appear to be many barriers to hybridisation in Thalasseus terns when they can't find the right partner . . .

Could it even be the same individual as Keanu's bird??

Yeah, it is a possibility indeed.

 

[sicklebill]

I have never seen a Crested Tern with an orange bill, they are always yellowy or greeny, so the possible hybrid is intriguing. West African Royal Terns do indeed look very white, so the Nambian bird that was the original query is a real puzzle, and the bill does look heavy for Lesser Crested.

 

[AlinoVegano]

I have never seen a Crested Tern with an orange bill, they are always yellowy or greeny, so the possible hybrid is intriguing. West African Royal Terns do indeed look very white, so the Nambian bird that was the original query is a real puzzle, and the bill does look heavy for Lesser Crested.

I've seen some in UAE and Oman, I'll check if I've a photo to share.

 

[Larry Sweetland]

Interesting thread. For me, I'd be very wary of being sure that what we can see on this single low res pic is actually what the bird looks like. I wouldn't trust the size, mantle colour, amount of white on the head, and true bill colour and shape. In this case notes of what was actually observed in the field would be far more useful than a dodgy pic.

I'm also with Alino Vegano on the possibility of Greater Crested Tern looking alarmingly orange-billed. I remember encountering this in Southern Africa. It was certainly far from the clear-cut "orange versus green" as field guides may suggest. I remember the impression given in the field varied depending on light and angle, don't know how this could potentially translate in a pic of this nature.

 

[Bryon Wright]

Hi all,
agree with Larry and Alino, ignore everything but the basic jizz and it looks like a greater crested tern.