The Bird Book Part 8

69. FORSTER'S TERN. _Sterna forsteri._

Range.--Temperate North America, breeding from Manitoba, Ma.s.s., and California, south to the Gulf Coast and Texas.

Length about fifteen inches; tail long and deeply forked; crown black, back and wings pearl and under parts white. Bill orange red. This species and the three following are the most graceful of birds in appearance and flight. Their movements can only be likened to those of the Swallows, from which they get the name of "Sea Swallows." Their food consists of fish, which they get by diving, and marine insects. They breed by thousands in the marshes from Manitoba to Texas and along the South Atlantic coast. The eggs are laid in a hollow on the dry gra.s.sy portions of the islands or marshes. They generally lay three eggs and rarely four. They are buffy or brownish spotted with dark brown and lilac. Size 1.80 1.30. Data.--Cobb's Island, Va., June 8, 1887. Eggs in a hollow on gra.s.sy bank. Collector, F. H. Judson.

70. COMMON TERN. _Sterna hirundo._

Range.--Eastern North America, breeding both on the coast and in the interior from the Gulf States northward.

This bird differs from the preceding chiefly in having a bright red bill tipped with black, and the under parts washed with pearl. These are the most common Terns on the New England coast, nesting abundantly from Virginia to Newfoundland. These beautiful Terns, together with others of the family, were formerly killed by thousands for millinery purposes, but the practice is now being rapidly stopped. In May and June they lay their three, or sometimes four eggs on the ground as do the other Terns.

They are similar to the preceding species but average shorter.

Data.--Duck Is., Maine, June 30, 1896. Three eggs in marsh gra.s.s about fifty feet from beach. No nest. Collector, C. A. Reed.

[Ill.u.s.tration 055: Brownish buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Forsters Tern. Common Tern.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 54

71. ARCTIC TERN. _Sterna paradisaea._

Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding from New England northward to the Arctic Regions and wintering south to California and the South Atlantic States. A similar bird to the last, differing in having the bill wholly red and the feet being smaller and weak for the size of the bird. A more northern bird than the last, breeding abundantly in Alaska, both on the coast and in the interior. In the southern limits of its breeding range, it nests in company with the Common Tern, its nests and eggs being indistinguishable from the latter. When their nesting grounds are approached, all the birds arise like a great white cloud, uttering their harsh, discordant "tearrr, tearrr," while now and then an individual, bolder than the rest, will swoop close by with an angry "crack." On the whole they are timid birds, keeping well out of reach. The nesting season is early in June. Eggs like the preceding. Data.--Little Duck Is., Me., June 29, 1896. Three eggs in a slight hollow on the beach, three feet above high water mark.

72. ROSEATE TERN. _Sterna dougalli._

Range.--Temperate North America on the east coast, breeding from New England to the Gulf.

These are the most beautiful birds, having a delicate pink blush on the under parts during the breeding season; the tail is very long and deeply forked, the outer feathers being over five inches longer than the middle ones; the bill is red with a black tip. They nest in large colonies on the islands from Southern New England southward, placing the nests in the short gra.s.s, generally without any lining. They lay two or three eggs which are indistinguishable from the two preceding species.

73. ALEUTIAN TERN. _Sterna aleutica._

Range.--Found in summer in Alaska and the Aleutian Islands.

South in winter to j.a.pan. This handsome Tern is of the form and size of the Common Tern, but has a darker mantle, and the forehead is white, leaving a black line from the bill to the eye. They nest on islands off the coast of Alaska, sometimes together with the Arctic Tern. The eggs are laid upon the bare ground or moss, and are similar to the Arctic Terns, but average narrower. They are two or three in number and are laid in June and July. Size 1.70 1.15. Data.--Stuart Is., Alaska.

Three eggs in a slight hollow in the moss.

[Ill.u.s.tration 056: Arctic Tern. Roseate Tern. Aleutian Tern.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Grayish or Brownish.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 55

74. LEAST TERN. _Sterna antillarum._

Range.--From northern South America to southern New England, Dakota and California, breeding locally throughout its range.

These little Sea Swallows are the smallest of the Terns, being but 9 inches in length. They have a yellow bill with a black tip, a black crown and nape, and white forehead. Although small, these little Terns lose none of the grace and beauty of action of their larger relatives.

They nest in colonies on the South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, placing their eggs upon the bare sand, where they are sometimes very difficult to see among the sh.e.l.ls and pebbles. They are of a grayish or buffy color spotted with umber and lilac. They number two, three and rarely four, and are laid in May and June. Size 1.25 .95. Data.--DeSota Beach, Fla., May 20, 1884. Three eggs laid on the sandy beach.

Collector, Chas. Graham.

75. SOOTY TERN. _Sterna fuscata._

Range.--Tropical America, north to the South Atlantic States. This species measures 17 inches in length; it has a brownish black mantle, wings and tail, except the outer feathers of the latter which are white; the forehead and under parts are white, the crown and a line from the eye to the bill, black. This tropical species is very numerous at its breeding grounds on the small islands of the Florida Keys and the West Indies. They lay but a single egg, generally placing it on the bare ground, or occasionally building a frail nest of gra.s.ses. The egg has a pinkish white or creamy ground and is beautifully sprinkled with spots of reddish brown and lilac. They are laid during May. Size 2.05 1.45.

Data.--Clutheria Key, Bahamas, May 28, 1891. Single egg laid on bare ground near water. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.

[Ill.u.s.tration 057: Light buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Least Tern. Sooty Tern.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Creamy white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 56

76. BRIDLED TERN. _Sterna anaetheta._

Range.--Found in tropical regions of both hemispheres; casual or accidental in Florida. This Tern is similar to the last except that the nape is white and the white of the forehead extends in a line over the eye. The Bridled Tern is common on some of the islands of the West Indies and the Bahamas, nesting in company with the Sooty Terns and Noddies. The single egg is laid on the seash.o.r.e or among the rocks. It is creamy white beautifully marked with brown and lilac. Size 1.85 1.25. Data.--Bahamas, May 9, 1892. Single egg laid in a cavity among the rocks. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.

77. BLACK TERN. _Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis._

Range.--Temperate America, breeding from the middle portions of the United States northward to Alaska; south in winter beyond the United States Border.

The ident.i.ty of these Terns cannot be mistaken. They are but ten inches in length; the whole head, neck and under parts are black; the back, wings and tail are slaty and the under tail coverts are white. Their dainty figure with their long slender wings gives them a grace and airiness, if possible, superior to other species of the family. They are very active and besides feeding upon all manner of marine crustacea, they capture many insects in the air. They nest in large colonies in marshes, both along the coast and in the interior, making a nest of decayed reeds and gra.s.ses, or often laying their eggs upon rafts of decayed vegetation which are floating on the water. The nesting season commences in May, they laying three eggs of a brownish or greenish color, very heavily blotched with blackish brown. Size 1.35 .95.

Data.--Winnebago City, Minn., May 31, 1901. Three eggs. Nest made of a ma.s.s of weeds and rushes floating on water in a swamp. Collector, R. H.

Bullis.

[Ill.u.s.tration 058: Creamy white.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Black Tern. Noddy. Black Skimmer.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Deep greenish brown.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 57

78. WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN. _Hydrochelidon leucoptera._

Range.--Eastern Hemisphere, its addition to American birds being made because of the accidental appearance of one bird in Wisconsin in 1873.

They nest very abundantly among the lakes and marshes of southern Europe, placing their eggs the same as the American species, upon ma.s.ses of decayed reeds and stalks. They lay three eggs which have a somewhat brighter appearance than the common Black Terns because of a somewhat lighter ground color.

79. NODDY. _Anous stolidus._

Range.--Tropical America, north to the Gulf and South Atlantic States.

A peculiar but handsome bird (about fifteen inches long), with a silvery white head and the rest of the plumage brownish, and the tail rounded.

They breed in abundance on some of the Florida Keys, the West Indies and the Bahamas. Their nests are made of sticks and gra.s.s, and are placed either in trees or on the ground. They lay but a single egg with a buffy or cream colored ground spotted with chestnut and lilac. Size 2.00 1.30. Atwood's Key, Bahamas, June 1, 1891. Nest made of sticks and gra.s.ses, three feet up a mangrove. Collector, D. P. Ingraham.