Possible Hybrid Sandwich Tern from the Mediterranean. (1 Viewer)

[Zoologist from the Med.]

Hello everyone from birdforum.net

Over here are some photos of an unidentified tern I saw during one of my latest birding expeditions. These photos were all taken in Malta on the 1st of December 2022. The photos supposedly show a normal sandwich tern (Thalasseus sandvicensis), which are actually very common in southern Europe from September to March were they spend the winter; including on the islands of Malta. On closer inspection however, I noticed that this particular specimen has a yellow beak with the head and black cap resembling that of a lesser crested tern (Thalasseus bengalensis), which is itself quite rare north of Libya. So I'm thinking that perhaps this bird in these photos is maybe a sandwich × lesser crested tern hybrid because of it's apparent strange proportions to me. Can anyone kindly identify this tern species please? Thank you.

 

[Derbyfella]

Could be my iPad, but the bill looks red in 1st and last photos…..suggesting that either those or the others are being affected by the lighting?

 

[MacNara]

Why not a regular juvenile Sandwich Tern?

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,

First: welcome to Birdforum ! More, thanks for posting this interesting bird.
I looked at the pictures on two different devices now and I agree with Derbyfella, the red hue seems to be enhanced by picture quality.
But you noticed a yellow bill in the field, therefore a different color.

The answer from MacNara might be right, but please note, that an entire yellow bill would be rare at least in European birds, and if this a Cabot’s Tern, it would be even better!

At first, I considered a Whiskered Tern, but bill shape seems wrong, too slender and downcurved. And the bird seems too large in relation to the Black headedGulls.

and I agree with you, the shape seems slightly unusual for a sandwich Tern, for me too. A stocky, not elongated body and the head seems too large in relation to the body.

I hope for more pictures and comments, it might well be an hybrid. But this bird is clearly above my paygrade, having only seen the Farne Islands bird and one possible LCT in the Ebro delta yet.

 

[Zoologist from the Med.]

Could be my iPad, but the bill looks red in 1st and last photos…..suggesting that either those or the others are being affected by the lighting?

Apologies for my late reply Derbyfella. But on my devices, the bill has a yellow colour on it.

 

[Zoologist from the Med.]

Hello,

First: welcome to Birdforum ! More, thanks for posting this interesting bird.
I looked at the pictures on two different devices now and I agree with Derbyfella, the red hue seems to be enhanced by picture quality.
But you noticed a yellow bill in the field, therefore a different color.

The answer from MacNara might be right, but please note, that an entire yellow bill would be rare at least in European birds, and if this a Cabot’s Tern, it would be even better!

At first, I considered a Whiskered Tern, but bill shape seems wrong, too slender and downcurved. And the bird seems too large in relation to the Black headedGulls.

and I agree with you, the shape seems slightly unusual for a sandwich Tern, for me too. A stocky, not elongated body and the head seems too large in relation to the body.

I hope for more pictures and comments, it might well be an hybrid. But this bird is clearly above my paygrade, having only seen the Farne Islands bird and one possible LCT in the Ebro delta yet.

Do you know of any records of Cabot's terns in Europe?

 

[Zoologist from the Med.]

Do you know of any records of Cabot's terns in Europe?

And could it by any chance, a Lesser crested tern or maybe an elegant tern?

 

[david kelly]

Do you know of any records of Cabot's terns in Europe?

Cabot’s tern has been recorded in Ireland, I think in 2021.

David

 

[Phil Andrews]

Given there have been several Sandwich x Elegant Tern breeding records in Europe in recent years that could be where my money is.

 

[Butty]

bill looks red in 1st and last photos…..suggesting that either those or the others are being affected by the lighting?

Clearly reddish in those photos, as stated above - as is the shadow on chest. So some colours are certainly distorted by optics/software.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Do you know of any records of Cabot's terns in Europe?

Hello,
no. But thanks to David from me, too!

 

[dantheman]

The @RareBirdAlertUK birding round-up 16 - 23 Jun 2020

The UK’s leading birdnews service since 1991. Sending over 90,000 instant and reliable birdnews reports each year. On pagers, smartphones, tablets and online.

www.rarebirdalert.co.uk

N. Ireland Cayenne Tern

I seem to remember the N Wales putative bird - but can't recall if I saw it or not. Don't know what the options were possible for that one.

 

[Gladiator96]

I really can't see why these artefact-ridden presumably phone-scoped photos don't show a normal sandwich tern...by far the most likely species

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello again,
I agree with all, that the pictures might well be misleading regarding the bill-colouration by the usual reasons (no offence as always)
But when I understand the OP correct, he saw and noticed the unusual bill-colouration in the field (both points are important imo)): "I noticed that this particular specimen has a yellow beak...."

I have never seen a Sandwich Tern of any age in Europe with an all=entire yellow bill before: is this possible?

 

[dantheman]

I have never seen a Sandwich Tern of any age in Europe with an all=entire yellow bill before: is this possible?

Elsie (Farne Islands Lesser Crested Tern) produced hybrid young I believe? Don't recall if any of these were subsequently seen again (have a feeling they may have possibly been iirc??) That was my thinking in post above - and since then there have been other options too as mentioned.


Agree on these pics an identity is looking unlikely ...

 

[Gladiator96]

Hello again,
I agree with all, that the pictures might well be misleading regarding the bill-colouration by the usual reasons (no offence as always)
But when I understand the OP correct, he saw and noticed the unusual bill-colouration in the field (both points are important imo)): "I noticed that this particular specimen has a yellow beak...."

I have never seen a Sandwich Tern of any age in Europe with an all=entire yellow bill before: is this possible?

My interpretation is that the OP didn't say that he noticed that the bill was yellow in the field, but rather noticed afterwards when inspecting the photos, in which case it is probably an artefact. If the bill was actually yellow in would be very obvious even from these photos.

 

[njlarsen]

My interpretation is that the OP didn't say that he noticed that the bill was yellow in the field, but rather noticed afterwards when inspecting the photos, in which case it is probably an artefact. If the bill was actually yellow in would be very obvious even from these photos.

I cannot see the bill as truly black from these images.

 

[david kelly]

Elsie (Farne Islands Lesser Crested Tern) produced hybrid young I believe? Don't recall if any of these were subsequently seen again (have a feeling they may have possibly been iirc??) That was my thinking in post above - and since then there have been other options too as mentioned.


Agree on these pics an identity is looking unlikely ...

Elsie’s hybrid young was seen at Musselburgh and Aberlady in 1989, being fed by Elsie. I saw it but can’t recall anything about it, being more interested in the purebred parent.

David