Hi all
My name is George Hobson - I'm a birder from across the ditch, New Zealand.
Recently I spotted & photographed (images attached) a tern on the Wellington harbour (southern north island). This bird had a long, curvey red bill, an NB crown & wing pattern and a forked tail. Now in NZ terns with red bills are very rare (quite the oppisite of Australia). I have been talking with some NZ birders and we are thinking it could possibly be one of your Roseate terns (a first record for NZ) or an Abbarant White-fronted tern, a species numerous in NZ but rarely recorded with a red bill.
I'd appreciate any help from people that have experiance with Roseates.
My notes from the field are as follows:
(WF or WFT = White-fronted Tern)
A tern a tad smaller than a WF-
Has a long red bill. NB black crown patterning coming just in front of the eye and ending as a little point at the back of the neck. Crown dome shaped (more so than WF). Face is a dark white and upper/underparts a dark wash of grey. The wing is a dark grey with the wingtips very dark grey - almost black. The front of the wing (carpal bar) is very dark grey - almost as if it is a juv. Tail is a dark grey with black in areas -very deeply forked also.
Hi George, welcome to the site.
I am certainly no expert, and always will be happy to be corrected. I thought I might start the ball rolling by suggesting a Common Tern (breeding colours)which I believe would be a rare vagrant to NZ.
Reasons
red bill (indicating breeding colours?)
black head colouring looks close to being right
you mention a "deep forked tail", which fits
longish looking tail in flight
Varying shades of grey on the wings
There are other parts of your description which maybe don't fit so well. Hopefully someone with more experience will be along to confirm an ID.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Hi Dale
Thank you!
Common tern, these guys are tricky! So, firstly and most importantly - it isn't in BP, the lack of fully black crown & the wing plumage indicates that. The bill seems slightly miss shapen for a common tern (sub sp hirundo). This bird would be a first record of the sub species hirundo in NZ and I'm not saying that would be impossible - just roseate (or aberrant WFT) seems more likely (and a better fit) as there are breeding colonies in Australia, just a glide away.
Cheers
George
Hi there,
I'm another birder from over the ditch and have been helping with the identification of this species. It is not a Common Tern, as bill length and overall size is not in this species favour. I am confident this is not Arctic or Antarctic as bill length almost totally rules these species out. It is obviously not a Black-Naped Tern, leaving the only two 'commic' terns in contention as Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii gracillis) or an abarrent White-Fronted Tern (Sterna straita).
I am currently leaning with the latter option, as the bird is very thickset and there was a similar bird in the region last year. Most other features of the birds plumage (such as the immense amount of black on wings, black cap drop-off point, thickset shape and streamers in young age). I have not, however, ever actually seen a Roseate in the field, and therefore my opinion on the size and shape could be muffled. The shape of the Roseate Tern's crown is also something that would interest me, as would the likelyhood of Roseate's in East-Australian colonies having blood red bills. I believe getting data on either of these features from people experianced with both species would be hugely crucial in the final identification of the species.
Michael
Cool as I said I am no expert, and am happy with feedback to help me learn as well. There are some experts here and if we are patient hopefully one will turn up soon. Thanks for your feedback guys.
Dale Huonville, Tasmania
Hello - can I suggest that you contact one of the folks in http://sossa-international.org/
I see on this page http://www.sossa-international.org/forum/content.php?120-Contacts are SOSSA's Principal Volunteer Pelagic Guides and I see Nikolas Haas mentioned. I have been on 2 or more pelagics with Nikolas and he is good and very helpful.
Peter
George,
That's certainly an interesting bird for NZ.
I think the dark carpal bar would exclude Roseate. If it is an iimmature bird it would also be strange to have a red bill in May. Pizzey also notes no black in tail, which you mention in your field notes. I think it could be a Common....but these commic terns do my head in!
If you have no luck here try the Feathers and Photos website.
I'd be interested to hear what the conclusion is....if there is one!
Hi George, I think your best bet would be try the Facebook group Seabirds & Pelagics Australia, some of the best seabirders in Australia are in that group. It's a closed group, so you'll need to join before you can post anything.
My 2 cents worth, it looks like a young bird & neither young Roseate or WFT have red bills. Ignoring the red bill, I think the apparent extensive dark carpal bar extending back to the trailing edge of the inner wing where it joins the body, probably favours 1st yr WFT over Roseate?
Thanks everyone!
Sorry for my delay in replying.
So at the moment I think it's a pretty weird abbarant White-fronted. Something that I would say is pretty un common. I will, however send out some emails (thanks for the contancts!) and I'll let you all know :)
Thanks everyone,
George