Color Key to North American Birds Part 13

=65. Royal Tern= (_Sterna maxima_). L. 19; T. 7, forked 3.5; B. 2.5.

_Ads., summer._ _Primaries frosty black_, _white on inner two-thirds of inner web except at tip_, _where frosty_; bill orange red; crown black; above pearl; below white. _Ads., winter._ The same, but head white with black streaks. _Yng._ Similar to winter ad. but wings and tail with grayish.

Range.--Middle America; breeds from southern Brazil and Peru to Gulf States, Virginia, and California; wanders north to Great Lakes and Ma.s.sachusetts; winters from Gulf States and California southward.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 66.]

=66. Elegant Tern= (_Sterna elegans_). L. 16.5; B. 2.7. Similar to No. 65, but smaller; bill longer and more slender. _Ads._ Tinged with sh.e.l.l pink below.

Range.--"Pacific coast of America from California to Chili." (A.O.U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 67.]

=67. Cabot Tern= (_Sterna sandvicensis acuflavida_). L. 16; T. 5.5, forked 2.7. _Ads., breeding._ Bill black, _the tip yellow_; crown black; above pearl; below white; primaries much as in No. 65. After breeding, head white; nape with black streaks. _Yng._ Similar to last but with back and tail with blackish; tip of bill less yellow.

Range.--Tropical America; breeds on east side of Mexico north along Gulf Coast to Florida, and Atlantic coast to South Carolina; wanders to Ma.s.sachusetts; winters south of United States to West Indies and Central America.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 63.]

=63. Gull-billed Tern= (_Gelochelidon nilotica_). L. 14.5; T. 5.5.

_Ads., summer._ _Bill thick, short, black; tail short, forked only 1.5_; crown black; above pearl; below white. _Ads., winter._ Head white, with black patch before and behind eye. _Yng._ Similar, but above edged with buffy; head and neck streaked with grayish. _Notes._ A high, thin, somewhat reedy _tee-tee-tee_, sometimes suggesting a weak-voiced katydid.

Range.--Cosmopolitan; breeds in North America from Mexico to Florida and north to Virginia; wanders north rarely to New Brunswick; winters from southern Texas southward.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 73.]

=73. Aleutian Tern= (_Sterna aleutica_). L. 14. T. 6.7, forked 3.

_Ads., summer._ Above _and below_ pearl gray, browner below; throat white; crown black; _forehead white; line from bill to eye black_.

_Ads., winter._ "With rather more white on forehead." (Cat. B. M.) _Notes._ "A thin, clear, trilling whistle." (Nelson.)

Range.--Alaska from Kadiak to Bering Strait, southwest to j.a.pan.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 74.]

=74. Least Tern= (_Sterna antillarum_). L. 9; T. 3.5, forked 1.7.

_Ads., summer._ Bill _yellow_, _black_ at tip; forehead _white_; _a black line_ from bill to eye; crown black; above pearl; below white. _Ads., winter._ Crown white; nape black; bill dark; tail shorter. _Yng._ Similar to last, but above with buffy or brownish.

_Notes._ "A sharp squeak much like the cry of a very young pig following its mother."

Range.--Western hemisphere; breeds locally from northern South America northward to Ma.s.sachusetts, Dakota, and southern California; winters south of United States.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 76.]

=76. Bridled Tern= (_Sterna anaethetus_). L. 15. _Ads._ Forehead and line _over_ eye white; _lores_ and crown black; nape whitish; back sooty gray or sooty brown; _outer_ tail feathers white, except at tip; inner ones grayish brown. _Notes._ A soft _qua_.

Range.--Tropical regions; north in Atlantic to the Bahamas; casual in Florida.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 69.]

=69. Forster Tern= (_Sterna forsteri_). L. 15; T. 7, forked. 4. _Ads., summer._ _Inner_ web of outer tail feather dusky; below _pure white_; bill _orange_, blackish at end; crown black; back pearl. _Ads., winter._ Crown white or grayish; _a large black spot about eyes_; bill black. _Yng._ Similar to winter ad. but above with brownish. _Notes._ A long drawn, deep, reedy _cack_ and _tweet-tweet-tweet-tweet_.

Range.--North America; breeds locally north to California, and from Texas along coast to Virginia and in interior to Manitoba; wanders to Ma.s.sachusetts; winters from southern California and Texas south to Brazil.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 70.]

=70. Common Tern= (_Sterna hirundo_). L. 15; T. 5.5, forked, 3.2 _Ads., summer._ Outer web of outer tail feather dusky; below white, _washed with dusky_; bill _red_, blackish at end; crown black; back pearl. _Ads., winter._ Forehead and underparts white; bill black.

_Yng._ Similar to last, but above with brownish; tail shorter.

_Notes._ A vibrant, purring, _tearrr_, and other calls.

Range.--Northern hemisphere; in America, chiefly east of Plains; breeds locally on coast and in interior from Gulf States to Barren Grounds and Greenland; winters south of United States to Brazil.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 71.]

=71. Arctic Tern= (_Sterna paradisaea_). L. 15.5; T. 7.2 forked 4.5.

Similar to No. 70, but _summer ad._ with bill _wholly bright red_; tail longer; tarsus shorter, .6 instead of .7. _Notes._ Like _tearr_ of No. 70, but shriller, ending in rising inflection, like squeal of a pig. (Brewster.)

Range.--Northern hemisphere; breeds from Ma.s.sachusetts north to Greenland and northwest to Aleutian Islands and Alaska; winters south to California and Virginia.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 72.]

=72. Roseate Tern= (_Sterna dougalli_). L. 15.5; T. 7.5, forked, 5.2.

_Ads., summer._ _Bill black, reddish only at the base; below white tinged with sh.e.l.l pink_; tail wholly white; crown black; back pearl.

_Ads., winter._ Forehead with white; no pink below. Notes. A reedy cack.

Range.--Temperate and tropical regions; breeds in North America on east coast only, from Florida north to Nova Scotia; rare north of Virginia; winters south of United States to Venezuela.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Foot of No. 70 Nat size]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Foot of No. 71 Natural size]

Terns and Skimmer

[Ill.u.s.tration: 75.]

=75. Sooty Tern= (_Sterna fuliginosa_). L. 17. _Ads., summer._ _Above blackish_, forehead and underparts white; tail black, except outer feathers which are mostly white. _Yng._ Sooty slate; linings of wings white; scapulars, upper tail coverts, and tail feathers tipped with white. _Notes._ A squeaky _quack_, a nasal _ker-wacky-wak_, and other calls.

Range.--"Tropical and subtropical coasts of the globe. In America from Chili to western Mexico and the Carolinas, and casually to New England." (A.O.U.)

[Ill.u.s.tration: 77.]

=77. Black Tern= (_Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis_). L. 10. _Ads., summer._ Head and underparts black; back, wings, and tail slate.

_Ads., winter._ Forehead, nape, and underparts _white_; head gray.

_Yng._ Similar to last, but above with brownish margins.

_Notes._ A sharp _peek_.

Range.--Temperate and tropical America; breeds in interior from California, Kansas, and Illinois to Alaska; irregular migrant on Atlantic coast from New Brunswick southward; winters south of United States to Chili.

[Ill.u.s.tration: 79.]