I noticed this rather nice photo that Searobin has just posted in the gallery:
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=56550
It's labelled as a Forster's Tern and I'm certainly not qualified to argue with that. However, in view of the extent of the black on the bill tip, the not obviously "silver" primaries and the dark outer primaries I did find myself wondering why it's not a Common Tern (which I think isn't altogether impossible in New Jersey). So how do you go about sorting out the ID of a flying Common versus a Forster's?
http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php?photo=56550
It's labelled as a Forster's Tern and I'm certainly not qualified to argue with that. However, in view of the extent of the black on the bill tip, the not obviously "silver" primaries and the dark outer primaries I did find myself wondering why it's not a Common Tern (which I think isn't altogether impossible in New Jersey). So how do you go about sorting out the ID of a flying Common versus a Forster's?