Taken 24-01-16 at Parnka Point, Coorong ,SA.
Tern but not sure which.
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My guess would be a non-breeding common tern
I'll 2nd Common Tern
Thanks for that.
yep looks good for common tern, black shoulder and outer wing (carpal bar), black crown and beak.
LM
Any thoughts on White-fronted Tern, non breeding ?
I leant towards the common tern rather than the white-fronted tern for a few reasons. Firstly, the upperwing seems distinctively dark for a white-fronted tern, whilst in comparison it is rather expected for the common tern as noted on the BiBY page and in general photos (See similar species; http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Sterna-striata).
Secondly the patterning of the darker feathers suggests to me that the bird is probably a juvenile/immature to developing into a mature adult, whether it be a common tern or white-fronted tern. However, in my guide (Simpson & Day 7th Ed) and in photos, there's no indication of the tip of the secondaries being significantly darkened for the white-fronted tern at any stage of development or adulthood, whilst it should occur in the development of the common tern and is exhibited by the bird in your photo.
Based off this my guess was that it was a common tern rather than a white-fronted tern, but that being said I am no authority on the matter, and am merely working off a guide and series of photos I've observed.